Spirited Away: Always Here
by iellainc
Summary: Chihiro left the spirit realm believing everything was a dream. When the dream became completely clear, all her memories of the spirit realm returns and Haku appears before her to keep his promise. But trouble arises as the balance of human and spirit becomes unstable and Chihiro and others who can see spirits are targeted by demons for a mysterious power within their souls.
1. Chapter 1

_She ran with all her might to chase the bleeding white serpent as it thrashed throughout the bathhouse. _I have to get to him! I need to help him! He can't die! _The girl thought as she burst through the door where the dragon lied on the floor, its breaths shallow and short._

_Now she's soaring through the night sky on the same dragon, except this time it wasn't injured. The serpent's white scales glinted in the moonlight and the long green mane flapped through the wind. She remembered something and spoke to the dragon. _"... River!"_ her words were drowned out by the wind but the dragon heard her and something amazing happened._

_The white scales disappeared along with the dragon and now she's free falling into the night sky except she wasn't scared at all. She laughed and tears of joy welled up in her eyes as she looked into a pair of emerald eyes._

_"I promise we will meet again."_

BZZZZZZZTTTTTTTT!

The shrill sound of her alarm clock jolted out of her dreams and surprised her to the point she crashed on to the floor. "Owww," Chihiro Ogino groaned, rubbing her head as she groggily reached up to the nightstand beside her where the screaming alarm rested. She slammed her fist on the snooze and a calm silence finally returned to the room. Yawning, she stretched her arms above her head and got up. Chihiro looked at her messy bed and a dazed look came upon her face.

She had that dream again. It was a recurring dream she first had eight years ago when she first arrived in town with her parents. They were headed to the new house when her father got them lost and they ended up at an old theme park. Ever since then, she had this dream. It was more frequent when she was younger but time had taken its toll and the dream only occurred only every now and then.

Chihiro fell face first into her bed as she sleepily peeked through the gaps of her blinds to the world outside her room. _It's been forever since I last had that dream. How long was it..? Oh yeah, nearly a year now. And here I thought it would finally stop._ She thought without remorse; She was actually happy she had it again. It made her feel like a child again, that dream.

"Well, no use reminiscing when I have stuff to do!" Chihiro exclaimed in a loud voice as she jumped out of bed in an effort to wake herself up. She rushed through a quick shower and bolted out of the house with a packed lunch her mother prepared before she had left for work. She greeted some of the neighbors as she ran down the street while tying her hair in a new-looking purple hair tie she had since eight years ago.

"Chihiro! Your sock is around your ankle again!" A young man called out to her from his front yard.

Chihiro slowed to a stop in front of the man and bowed her head in greeting. "Good morning, Harada-san! How is your research going along?" She asked as she sheepishly pulled her sock up to her knees.

"Swell! Ever since I moved here in Japan, my research has been going rather smoothly," Bakal Harada smiled as he softly flicked her nose. Bakal Harada is a man in his twenties and studies Japanese history and culture. Currently, he is studying about Shintoism and moved from the Philippines to the Japanese countryside to have a closer look at Japanese tradition. A handsome man that was only half Japanese, he lives a few houses down from Chihiro and was a brotherly figure for her ever since he moved in a couple months ago. "It's amazing how closely tied Shintoism is to Japan's history, to the point that there is still an emperor! Even if he doesn't have any actual political power," Bakal added with a small laugh.

Chihiro rubbed her nose as she looked at his pleased expression. "Harada-san, why did you move to the country rather than the city? I'm pretty sure there's a lot of sources there and the city is buzzing with people unlike this quiet town!"

Bakal looked up at the blue sky thoughtfully. "Hmmm, I guess maybe it's because modern technology hasn't completely taken over the country. More history is preserved in the country where everything is simple and not overly exaggerated."

Chihiro nodded in agreement. "That makes sense, I guess."

Bakal laughed again. "It's not like I need your approval, little lady. Besides, shouldn't you hurry? You won't make it to school on time like that, you know."

Chihiro glanced at her watch and gasped at how long she had been talking to him. "Oh no, I'm gonna be late! All because you talk too slow!" She jokingly blamed Bakal. She waved at him and started running off. "Bye, Harada-san!"

"See ya, kiddo!" Bakal smiled to himself as he watched her dash out of sight. "Always lively in the morning. Hm?" A movement caught his eye and he looked down the street to see a mysterious boy in traditional Japanese clothing watch Chihiro. "Seems suspicious...I guess I'll go take a look," he murmured to himself as he went to approach the boy. He tapped the boy's shoulder and put on a friendly smile. "Excuse me, young man, are you looking for somebody?"

The black haired boy jumped back, a look of surprise written in his emerald eyes. "You can see me..?"

Confused, Bakal made an awkward laugh and nodded. "Why, yes, I can see you from all the way over there." He pointed to his house down the street. "Are you a friend of Chihiro? An enemy? Or...a secret admirer?" Bakal asked jokingly, trying to open the boy up.

The boy ignored his question as he looked him up and down. "You have a strange aura. Are you an onmyoujii?"

Bakal blinked in surprise at the question. An onmyouji is someone who practices spiritual powers and summoning of spirits according to Japanese folklore. These people are granted the ability to see spirits and demons. _But that's all a folktale, _Bakal thought at first, but honestly, he didn't believe himself. His grandfather used to be a Japanese priest before he moved to the Philippines and married his grandmother. When Bakal was a young child, his grandfather always told him stories about the Japanese spirits and how he see them in the shrine he worked at. There were many stories about each spirit he befriended and how once, his grandfather was able to visit the spirit realm and met a witch who ran a bathhouse. But then his grandmother would come in nagging about how it's all a fairy tale and not to delve in too much about it. But no matter what, that's how his love and interest about Japanese culture sprouted, with his grandfather's convincing stories of the spirits.

Bakal shook his head a few times to break out of his reverie before answering the boy. "No, I am not an onmyoujii, but may I ask, might you happen to be a spirit?" He knew the question would sound outrageous to a normal person; most of his neighbors thought he was weird because of his love of the Japanese's folklore, but nevertheless, he had to know. No one else seemed to notice the boy, which gave him more reason to hope. Bakal held his breath as he waited for the boy to reply.

The boy stared into his eyes for a few minutes, a calm but calculating look on his face. After a while, he shrugged. "Yes. I am." _This man seems trustworthy and still believes in the spirits. I can use him,_ the boy thought to himself.

Bakal gasped. He couldn't believe his luck, an actual spirit! The legends are true! It would help a lot with his research! "I'm Bakal Harada, it's a pleasure to meet you!" He said excitedly, grabbing the boy's hands and shaking it in his own. "I can't believe it! My grandfather was right! This is amazing, I have so many questions!" The boy looked at him, not knowing what to do as Bakal kept blabbing continuously.

Bakal felt someone staring at him and glanced over his shoulder to see some people looking at him strangely. "Oh, right, to normal people, it will seem like I'm talking to a wall, haha! Uhm, would you come to my house, I would like to chat with you. If we stay outside, I will seem even more peculiar by my neighbors!"

The boy glanced over his shoulder, looking after the direction Chihiro ran off to. "Oh, Chihiro? She's going to school, so she wouldn't be able to talk to you, that is, if she can see you. Stay at my place and I'll try to catch her for you," Bakal suggested, eager to take notes.

"...I guess it wouldn't hurt, " the boy murmured and, delighted, Bakal led him to his house.

Before opening the gate to his home, Bakal turned around with a smile. "I nearly forgot to ask, what is your name, young man?"

For the first time since he talked to him, the boy smiled. "Kohaku. Nigihayami Kohakunushi. Call me Haku."

Chihiro stared outside through the classroom window, thinking about her dream from earlier. Her bento box laid on top of her desk, the contents already devoured. I_ wonder what I said before River? _She thought as she watched the lone cherry blossom tree in the courtyard rustle in the soft breeze. And who is the one with the emerald eyes?

"Chihiro-chaaaaaaannnnn!" A pretty wavy haired girl popped out in front of her with a big smile. "I heard the good news! Congrats!"

"Huh?" Chihiro gave her a confused look. "What are you talking about, Emi-chan?"

"That painting of that strange land you wrote a poem about, of course! You won the nationals with the art piece AND the poem! That's amazing!" Emi grinned, placing a can of tea on Chihiro's desk. "I'll treat you later as congrats."

Chihiro smiled and hugged her friend. "Thanks, Emi-chan. But don't you have supplementary classes to go to after school?"

"Oh, darn!" Her friend groaned, slapping her forehead. "Geez, it's a hassle but I have to go, or else, old man Yanagi will nag me about my grades." The bell rings, signalling the beginning of class and Emi looks at Chihiro regretfully.

"I have to go to class now, and I won't be able to see you after school, so tomorrow for sure, okay?"

"Okay! Bye bye, Emi-chan!"

After school, Chihiro drops by the library where her poem and painting are displayed. She gazed at the canvas where a strange world resided. A tall dynamic bathhouse sits in a vast blue sea and a train can be seen in the background chugging along submerged railroad tracks. A strange black figure with a white mask stood at a platform with a young girl, as if waiting for the train.

Chihiro then looks at a her poem, framed beside the painting. She had written it based on a part of her dream, and had submitted it to the national poetry contest.

A SEA OF DREAMS

There I stand

On a small patch of land

With a mouse and a bird

And my feet submerged.

A faceless figure stands beside me

On the platform in the middle of a vast sea,

Waiting for a train to come

And take me to a place far from home.

A place where I do not know

And to return is unknown.

The path ahead of me is not clear

But I know to never fear

For in that place I am destined

A loved one is waiting and

To him I must go

And my heart had already chose.

No matter how vast this sea of dreams stretches

I wait on for the train of lessons

With not a single thought of regret

Of him having met.

I do not look back at the tall red bathhouse behind me

to which Fate has taken me

and where I had grown and trained

From the frightened child of yesterday.

Instead I look at this glistening sea of dreams

And admire how the shining blue gleams

And there I wait

For the Train of Fate.

Something within her chest stirred as she read her poem over and over again, and somehow she knew that something is awakening within her. Chihiro looked at the painting again and one thought occurred in her mind. "The train of Fate is coming again."


	2. Chapter 2

Chihiro rushed past the school gates as the sun began to set in the sky. She had been held back by some art club members for a small celebration in the clubhouse and had refused to take no for an answer. _Geez, I'm gonna miss my drama because of them!_ She thought with an annoyed expression as she ran up the street.

She had almost reached her street when she tripped over nothing. "Ow!" Chihiro muttered as she rubbed her scraped knees while she looked around for the cause of her fall. A dark, hazy figure started to rise from the ground. "Huh? Am I seeing things?" She wondered out loud as she squinted at the barely perceptible figure.

A sleepy and dreamlike feeling came over her and she started to slowly approach the figure. She came closer to it with each small step. "Chihiro!" A voice shouted behind her, breaking her from the strange lulling feeling that had controlled her for those few short moments.

Chihiro turned around and found Bakal rushing to her side with a worried look. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

She shook her head a little. "No, it's only a scraped knee, I'm fine, Harada-san. "

Bakal let out a sigh of relief and made a small grin. "That's good, but we should treat your knees right away. Quick, come inside," he led her to the gate of his house. Before she disappeared through the door, Chihiro took one last look at the street and the strange figure was no where to be seen.

She had not noticed Haku standing next to her, a solemn look in his eyes as he clenched his fists that were covered in dark slime.

Chihiro sat in the small living room, fingering the band aid that covered her scraped knee. Bakal walked in with some refreshments and placed the tray on the coffee table in front of her. "You're so clumsy, tripping like a little kid," he said as he sat in the comforter across from her.

"I could have sworn I tripped on something, though, I thought I saw-" Chihiro began to say but she quickly closed her mouth.

Bakal looked at her with a hopeful expression. "Saw what, Chihiro?" _Is she able to see spirits, too?_

Chihiro thought about it and then shook her head. "No, it's nothing. You probably wouldn't believe me anyway."

"We'll see about that. Spill it," he said, leaning forward in his seat in anticipation.

"I thought I saw...some sort of dark ghost, you know, like a dementor from Harry Potter," Chihiro finally said in a hushed voice. She was scared that she was going crazy, saying something like that. Bakal remained silent, waiting for her to go on. "It was very hazy; I could barely make it out. It could have been a trick of the light or something but...it came out of the ground. No, it floated out of the ground and I thought I heard this deep voice calling out to me. Something came over me and I went to approach it and then you appeared, Harada-san."

Chihiro glanced up at Bakal who was thinking silently. "Do you think I'm imagining things? Am I going mad?"

"No, of course not, Chihiro," Bakal smiled in reassurance. "It's strange...I saw it, too."

"You did?" Maybe she's not crazy after all, if even Bakal saw it.

"It's a spirit, Chihiro. You and I, we are beginning to see spirits."

"What?!" Chihiro coughed out the cookie she had just started eating. "Harada-san, I'm pretty sure there's no way that it was a spirit. Maybe I am going crazy after all."

"No no no, Chihiro, you got it all wrong. Can't you see? You're starting to remember, aren't you? That's why you're beginning to see spirits," Bakal said, urging her to believe him. "What about that dream you always talked about? Maybe it's not a dream?"

_Dream?_ Haku glanced at Bakal with a confused look as he sat beside Chihiro without her noticing a thing.

Chihiro shook her head again in disbelief. "That place can't be real, no. Harada-san, there are no such thing as dragons or or an ono face mask guy."

"An ono face mask guy?" Bakal repeated, puzzled. He raised his brows at Haku and the boy just shrugged. "This is the first time you mentioned anything about an...ono face mask guy."

That's right, it was the first time she mentioned it. In fact, Chihiro can't remember any time she dreamt about the ono face mask guy until last night. Last night's dream was also the first time she actually heard her say anything, even if it was only one word.

Bakal observed her as Chihiro puzzled over her dream and its mysteriousness. "Did you happen...to dream about it again, Chihiro?" He finally asked. "Hasn't it been almost a year since you had that dream. Didn't you tell me that the last time, you could barely remember it at all if it weren't for your poems or paintings?"

Paintings! Chihiro flashed to the painting of the sea and she remembers she painted a masked but faceless black figure on the train platform. Her eyes widened as she realized that she had unknowingly remembered the ono face mask guy.

Haku observed Chihiro and hope sprouted within him. Maybe she will remember him, or even better, see him! Holding his breath, he reached out to touch her shoulder.

Chihiro felt a pressure on her arm and glanced at her side. She raised her brows to find another hazy figure sitting beside her. _How long has it been there? I must be dreaming now, or maybe I am sick._

Bakal inhaled sharply as he watched her notice Haku beside her on the sofa. She must have the same ability as him. They both can see spirits!

Haku made a small smile as he realized that Chihiro can now see him, but at the same time, he was disappointed. He can tell that all she is another hazy spirit; the bright sparks that usually appeared in her eyes when she sees him is not there. She still doesn't remember him. _Patience...soon, her memories will return and we can be together then._ He just needed to give her a small push in the right direction.

Chihiro made a small worried look and directed her attention to Bakal. "Harada-san, please don't tell me that there is a 'spirit' sitting beside me."

Bakal smiled, nearly seeing the air quotes float above her head. "I can't because that would be lying and you know I don't lie. Just accept the fact that there are spirits, Chihiro."

"No, I can't. That's just a fairy tale!" Chihiro exclaimed. She jumped to her feet and bowed her head. "Thanks for treating my wounds and giving me refreshments, Harada-san. I'll go home now. I'll show myself out."

She left the living room and they can hear the front door slam shut as Chihiro ran for the refuge of her home down the street. Bakal gave Haku a sympathetic smile as the spirit stared at the floor. "I'm sorry that it didn't go as you would like, Haku. Chihiro is a stubborn girl, and I've met her parents. They drilled it hard into her head that there are no such thing as spirits."

"There is no need to apologize, Bakal," Haku murmured as he looked up at the human man. "I had a feeling that losing her memories for so long would make her belief in us waver. It's all my fault, if I had come to fulfill our promise earlier, then-"

Bakal placed a hand on his shoulders with a reassuring smile. "Don't beat yourself up about it. I know from my studies that the path between the human and spirit world is hard to find and it is difficult to get through. We'll just have to do our best to get her to remember."

Haku glanced up at Bakal in surprise. "We? You are going to help me?"

The man laughed and slapped Haku's shoulders playfully. "Of course! You're the first spirit I've ever seen and I would love more than anything for you to finally meet Chihiro. It's just the 'how'." Bakal looked up at the ceiling thoughtfully and rubbed his stubby chin.

"Maybe if she saw me, then..." Haku murmured.

"Huh? I thought the problem was that she couldn't see you?" Bakal said in confusion.

"In my human form, any normal human can see me," Haku started to explain and the young researcher began scribbling some notes on a small yellow pad of paper. "But when I put on a spiritual cloak, it generally prevents me from being seen by normal mortals. Only a human with the special ability of sight can see me, for example, you." Haku points at Bakal who nodded eagerly. "Of course, I can put on a more stronger cloak if I really want to stay hidden, but this weak cloak of mine was just a test to see if Chihiro had already remembered."

"Ahh, it's starting to make sense now," Bakal said once Haku finished. "So what you're saying, once Chihiro completely regains her memories of the spirit realm, her hidden ability to see spirits will awaken again?"

"Yes, that is one way to put it," the spirit replied with a small smile. "Although I am surprised that someone with mix blood like you would even have the ability to see me, even if I did take off my spiritual cloak."

Bakal made a sheepish smile. "You're not the only one, Haku. I didn't believe in spirits until today when I saw you! It was a stroke of luck, really. And I didn't think that my grandfather's blood would be strong enough to pass his abilities on to me."

Haku raised his brows. "You're grandfather?"

"Ahem, yes, my grandfather used to be a priest at this town's local shrine before he left the country. He told me that he was able to visit the spirit world once," Bakal added somewhat arrogantly.

"A priest that used to work at the local shrine?" Haku repeated. "Could he be..?"

"His name is Yamato Rei," Bakal said, unknowingly finishing Haku's sentence. Haku jumped up so suddenly he nearly knocked over the coffee table. "Whoa! Haku, did I day something wrong?" He asked worriedly as a serious expression clouded the spirit's face.

"The heir of mixed blood returns to redeem the lost clan. Together with a young girl and a dragon, the three reunites the two realms as all over, humans began gaining Sight. Dragons and humans will collided and failure to make peace brings the realms destruction as the demons rose with newfound power." Haku said in a husky voice, his emerald eyes clouded with mystery. He turns to face Bakal with newfound light. "You are the heir, Bakal. Fate brought me to you so we an fulfill the Heaven's prophecy."

"Huh..?" Bakal blinked and Haku began pacing the small room.

"Now it truly is imperative to awaken Chihiro before the dark forces arises now that you have already gained the Sight," the spirit muttered to himself, trying to think of a plan. He whirled around to face Bakal. "Bakal, what is the best way for me to get close to Chihiro without suspicion?"

Bakal scratched his head at the sudden question and thought for a few moments. "Well, you can go to school with her, but I don't see how you'll be able to do so-"

"That's it! We will go with your plan, Bakal," Haku decided. "Leave the complicated stuff to me, you will handle the normal human stuff about school."

"...okay..? Sure, whatever, anything to help, I guess," Bakal answered meekly, his mind trying to wrap around this new development. _Prophecy? Lost clan? Gramps sure didn't mention anything about this when I was a kid._ "Well, Haku, first off, a normal high school student..."

Chihiro laid on her bed staring up at the ceiling, unable to go to sleep. "What's with all those stupid hallucinations? There can't actually be spirits...or can there?" Not to her surprise, no one answered her question and she groaned. This is too much to handle for a normal high school girl. She shouldn't dwell on it too much. She's probably just sick.

With that thought in mind, Chihiro went into a deep slumber, and the dream recurred once more, this time, more clearer than the night before.


	3. Chapter 3

Chihiro arrived at school unusually early. Only a few handfuls of students roamed the school grounds, exchanging homework or some juicy gossip they heard from a friend in another school. There was a feeling of serenity that the school emitted. Chihiro never saw school to be so peaceful before, with the sky slowly turning from a rosy pink to a brilliant blue as the sun made its way up.

Her mother had been surprised at the sight of her daughter already in uniform at the table in the kitchen, eating rice balls for breakfast and setting aside a few others for lunch. Even Chihiro was also taken aback that she had been able to wake up early that morning; what, with the events from the day before causing a ripple in the balance of her normal and peaceful world. She had dreamt again that night, clearer than ever before, but also, in such a deep slumber when she awoke she was afraid she had overslept. But instead, it was only five in the morning and she laid on her bed in a failed attempt to return to sleep. Afterwards, she started preparing for the school day, waking up before her mother, and seeing off her father as he left for work.

Chihiro felt restless that morning, for what she did not know. She just had a feeling a change will occur, and with uncertain anticipation, she headed for school. She had walked, relishing her time, and only glanced at Bakal's house without pausing. She can apologize for her rude behavior later; it was more important to go to school and test this feeling of anticipation she had.

The halls were empty and Chihiro observed the somewhat vacant school with interest. Since she was either nearly late for school or leaving late in the afternoon when the sun would start its course to the horizon, she was not used to the calm and peacefulness that one could feel before the start of a hectic school day. Chihiro hovered at the back door that led to a small courtyard where she and Emi would eat lunch when the day was good with the sun bathing them in warmth and not ravaging heat as they would feel during gym class. She sat on the low stone wall with her school bag set beside her, and she gazed up at the vast sky with her feet stretched out in front of her. Chihiro went into a pensive trance and was lost in her own world until someone cleared their throat.

Chihiro made a small jump and whipped her head to find her friend, Demetri, a tall boy with a slender built that came from Ireland. His long, honey brown hair bounced in curls around his round face, and his green, almond-shaped eyes watched her with great interest. "Someone was daydreaming again, I see," he said with a slightly accented voice. His Japanese was pretty impressive for someone who came to school only two seasons ago with barely a word of Japanese. Demetri wouldn't have survived a week in school if Chihiro, pestered by Emi to go approach him since she knew English the best among the class and Demetri also knew the language, had not taken him under her care. A weak-spirited thing, he was, easily wavered, and easy to bully. A good thing Chihiro and Emi had stepped in to help the foreigner out, and taught him Japanese.

Chihiro made a small grin and waved her friend to sit beside her. "Can't help it, I have a lot of things weighing my mind."

"Are there? Care to share the burden?" Demetri offered, always willing to help his friend out whenever possible. He sat with a small distance between them, since he knew that it wasn't custom to be physically close to others here in Japan.

"Just trivial things like my sanity. It's not much," Chihiro chuckled before blowing her bangs out of her eyes.

"I think you're taking it lightly than what it should be. I mean, you're actually early for once, Chi-chan," he said in earnest. It seems her earliness was indeed too peculiar to go unnoticed.

She just shook her head and looked up at the sky again. "Sometimes, I look at the clouds and I catch a glimpse of a white dragon. But I know it was just a cloud, and my imagination was just playing tricks on me." Whenever a problem dealt with her mind, Chihiro would say something like this, answering and at the same time, not answering the question at hand. But Demetri knew better and understood for he nodded and asked no more.

The two friends just sat there until more students started to arrive and eventually, Emi found them in the courtyard, her face lit with excitement and she ran to them with liveliness that meant she heard something good. "Chihiro-chan! Demetri-kun! Good morning!"

"Morning, Emi-chan," they both said at the same time. Demetri observed his other friend and stated, "News to tell?"

Emi nodded and clenched her fists excitedly to her chest. "I heard sensei talking about it! Another transfer student! In your class! He's the second one after you, Demetri-kun!"

Chihiro smiled at her male friend. "Looks like you won't be the center of bullying anymore, Demetri," she joked and his face turned red as his friends teased him.

"Shut up, I'm not the same as I was half a year ago, Chi-chan," Demetri protested and she raised her brows in questioning. "No, really! No one ever comes to mess with me ever since I learned my Japanese! In fact, I'm starting to get a lot of attention because of my nationality, and I've been receiving many gifts from the girls and-" he rambled on, his face growing pinker and pinker as he continued.

Emi and Chihiro laughed and they patted his back reassuringly. "Yes, we know, Demetri, no need to show off your popularity, " Chihiro smirked. Even though her friend is now fluent, she couldn't resist a good tease every now and then.

Emi hugged him by the neck with a smile. "I hope all this popularity doesn't get to your head, Demetri-kun. Remember, I'm your one and only."

The Irish boy laughed and gently pried her off his neck. "I will remember that, Emi-chan." Chihiro smiled inwardly at her two best friends. _The two obviously liked each other,_ she thought to herself, _what, with the way they treat one another. They must have feelings for the other._

"Well, as long as you remember," Emi grinned, jumping to her feet. "About this transfer student, I was able to hear that his name is Nigihayami Kohaku. Apparently, he's a distant cousin of that foreign researcher that lives in your neighborhood, Chihiro-chan. B something Harada?"

"Harada-san?" This is the first she had heard of this Kohaku guy, but the name was familiar, tugging at a distant memory. But Chihiro wasn't able to think hard enough about it because soon the warning bell was ringing and off they went, the trio, to their classes on the third floor of the school building.

Chihiro sat at her desk beside the window, notebook open and scribbled in it was many strange little creatures that may have come from a child's fairy tale. Demetri was at the front of the class, nearest to the door, and he watched her from afar as she doodled mindlessly. He knew that she was just waiting for their teacher to come in with the new student so she can quickly capture his face on paper since it would be hard for Emi to see the new student.

And at last he came, a little behind the middle-aged man who was their teacher. A tall and silent figure he was, the new student. Handsome with emerald eyes that rivaled Demetri's. His dark hair was long and easily covered his face with the slightest movement. Nigihayami Kohaku. An interesting character, and for some reason, Chihiro felt like she knew him.

Meanwhile, Haku observed the class of mortals, doing his best not to wrinkle his nose at the smell of pollution that congested the closed room. His eyes rested on Chihiro who watched him with earnest, and he can tell there was a small spark in her eyes and hope lighted up within him. Introductions was made, with his short and curt, obviously in a hurry to take a seat. It was most likely by magic that Haku was able to get into the same class as Chihiro as well as to have the seat right beside her. But at the time, Chihiro waved it off as a coincidence.

"Hi, Kohaku, I'm Chihiro," she said, somewhat shyly as she stared at her new neighbor. He gave her a passive look and made a small nod. _Ah, the man with few words type,_ she had thought as his lack of response. "Uhm, if there is ever anything you need, just ask please."

Haku nodded again, not really paying attention as he directed his view to the front of the class where the teacher was giving a lecture. Chihiro bit her lip at the cold silence, not having met this type before. It will take a while to open up the new student it seemed.

All throughout class, she attempted at small talk but each time, Haku only nodded, shook his head, or give a one word response. The most emotion she got out of him was a roll of the eyes as she tripped on her way out of class to the courtyard for lunch. Of course, no one noticed this gesture nor the fact that he silently trailed Chihiro to the courtyard and observed the small lunchtime gathering.

"How was he? The new student?" Emi asked eagerly as Chihiro ate away at her onigiri. "Was he handsome? Was he a jerk? Oh! Were the girls eyeing him like rare candy to level up or something?"

It was Demetri who answered her questions since Chihiro started choking on her food at the last question. "Handsome enough, I guess, and silent. Very mysterious, Kohaku. I get a strange feeling from him, as if he doesn't belong here but at the same time, he does. Seemed a little lost on how things go." Haku raised his brows at the Irish boy's observation as he sat hidden in the tree above them. He was a clever one, the foreigner. Haku should be careful on how he acted around him.

"I feel like I know him from somewhere, like we've met," Chihiro said thoughtfully once she stopped choking on her rice.

"Well, as the saying goes, you never truly forget someone you have met," Demetri murmured in his bento.

"Haha, I guess that's true," she laughed. Chihiro felt like someone back then said something similar to what he mentioned. The memories of her childhood was so cloudy, it was hard to recall anything from the time she first moved into town. But somehow, she felt that these memories are also resurfacing, slowly but surely. She rested her cheek in her palm as her eyes saw a distant place, far from where the trio sat with their lunches. "I wonder...if I have met Kohaku before, if he recognizes me in a way...maybe, we used to be friends when we were little." But no, after the strange silent treatment in class, Chihiro doubted that the new student was anyone she knew, much less, been friends with. Who would forget such a peculiar friend, no matter how long ago?

Even as she thinks this, Chihiro knew that she met him somewhere. Just a matter of time before she remembers anything.

Rustle. Haku silently swore to himself when the spirit of the tree he took refuge in, a young, mischievous boy, appeared beside him on the branch with a smile of evil intent. "Spying in my tree is a no no," the boy grinned as he pushed Haku against the trunk, making the leaves rustle loudly and the branch creaked at the weight.

Emi looked up at the sound and a grin broke out on her face as Chihiro sat there, too deep in thought to notice the spy above their heads. Demetri made a solemn look as he noticed Haku, whose face was passive although his eyes darted away for a moment. "Chihiro-chaaan, look up! We have a guest!"

Emi shook Chihiro's head to break her out of her reverie and forced her to look up at Haku. Her milk-brown eyes widened at the strange boy perched in a tree. "Kohaku..?"

Haku cleared his throat as he glared at nothing beside him; well, not nothing, but at the mischievous tree spirit who revealed his hiding spot, but of course the trio can't see the boy. "I...was just resting in the tree, is all. I'll be going now."

Haku jumped off the tree and landed lightly on his feet, but before he could walk away, Emi linked her arm around his, forcing him to stay. "Oh, no, you can't leave just yet, Nigihayami-kun! You took our designated lunch place, so you have to stay until we tell you to leave!" He visibly grimaced at this and Chihiro pursed her lips at his reaction. "Aw, don't be shy, we won't bite! Here, sit beside Demetri-kun." Emi forced Haku down on the grass beside Demetri who continued to eat his bento, chopsticks held somewhat awkwardly in hand.

Chihiro remained standing while Emi immediately dropped to the ground with a big grin. "So, Nigihayami-kun, how's school so far?"

"Good." Haku replied in a somewhat clipped tone.

"Do you like your class? I heard from Demetri-kun that you sit next to Chihiro-chan. She'll be your first friend here, well, I'll be second and Demetri-kun can be third since he is also still new here, but you can always come to us if you need anything!" Emi blabbed on and Haku only nodded, not really knowing what to say at the eager girl's ramble. "Oh! I forgot that you don't know me! I'm Emi, I'm in the class next to yours, Nigihayami-kun."

"Mmm."

"Can't you say anything that is more than one word, Haku?" Chihiro asked in an exasperated voice. She was annoyed at the fact that he wasn't even trying to have a conversation even though Emi was reaching out to him wholeheartedly. There was a gasp as her friends gaped at her from her outburst.

"Chihiro-chan...it's normal for you to just casually call _any_ classmate you meet by their first name, regardless of your manners, but," Emi began with a flushed face but Demetri finished for her.

"Calling the new student by a nickname? It really is as if you've met Nigihayami-kun before," Demetri watched her with raised brows. Chihiro blushed, just now realizing what she had said.

She started to stutter an excuse out, her face all flustered. "I...I didn't mean to… I was just annoyed and- just forget this happen already!" Chihiro shouted, her face red. Haku surprised them all by laughing which only made her even more embarrassed. "Hey! What's so funny?"

Haku just shook his head and gave her a ghost of a smile. "It's nothing, Chihiro. It's alright for you to call me Haku. I don't mind." After all, even when you knew my real name you still called me Haku.

Demetri pursed his lips. "Even Nigihayami-kun is calling Chi-chan by her first name, and they've just met. What has Japan come to?"

"Oh, you're just jealous that you weren't brave enough to use our first names at first, Demetri-kun," Emi teased, ruffling the Irish boy's bouncy hair and he scowled.

"I am not jealous," he pouted, crossing his arms over his chest and Chihiro giggled at her friend's behavior.

"You shouldn't be so jealous, Demetri. You already had us to yourself for the better part of the year and you have a flock of girls swooning over you," she smirked and he buried his red face in his hands.

"You two can be so mean sometimes," he muttered and the girls laughed at their friend, Haku momentarily forgotten.

"You three seem very close," he observed. A bit too close for his liking, in terms of Demetri. Even when Chihiro was younger, she had never treated him the way she treated the Irish boy.

"Just your average trio of best friends, Nigihayami-kun," Emi said, giving him a sweet smile. "But, it really is hard to call you by your last name, Nigihayami-kun. It's so long, so I was wondering if, just maybe…"

"You'd rather call me by my first name?" Haku finished for her, somewhat amused at her hesitation which greatly contrasted her earlier self. Emi nodded and gave him pleading eyes, leaving Haku no choice but to agree. Not like he minded; even he thought his last name a bit too long for his taste but a name is a name. "Just call me Haku."

"Haku-kun."

"Haku."

"Haku-kun."

_"Haku."_

_"Haku-kun."_ Emi gave him a daring look, challenging him to make her drop the kun suffix from his name. She couldn't help but add a chan or a kun to anyone's name.

Haku made an exasperated sigh and ran a hand through his dark hair in defeat. "Fine. Haku-kun."

Emi squealed in delight and Chihiro laughed at her friend's easy victory; even Demetri was amused. Haku was just tired, completely new to this high school student thing. It took a lot of energy to even sit there with Chihiro's friends. But he had to stay for the whole day. His plan needed to be set into motion soon, so it's not too late for Chihiro to recover her memories.

Haku sat there silently beside Demetri as the three talked about the upcoming school festival, and what their class was doing. Chihiro had an elated look on her face, eager to make sure that her class did the haunted house. She was telling them of her plans on the tricks and the props to make the whole thing a success. He hasn't seen Chihiro in such a long time, he didn't mind being tired from this human school as long as he saw her happy. But somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew that this happiness won't last. Not after she gets caught into the chain that bounded everyone in the spirit world to Fate. In fact, the chain may have been on her since the day she first stepped in that meadow with her parents.

He will protect her at all costs, even at his own life. But he had mission to fulfill and memories to be awaken. He just hoped danger wouldn't target Chihiro.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's notes: I was doing research for once, yay me~! XD**

**Well, not so sure if I'll continue with using Japanese terms but it's good to study Japanese mythology, especially because Bakal studies that subject so I'll probably have to know my stuff/shot**

**Yurei: ghosts, the souls of the dead that are not purified. Often in the Edo period, most ghosts are vengeful women who suffered a lot in their lifetime**

**Oni: a Japanese demon that is often depicted with horns and wearing tiger skins. The color of the oni depends on what type they are**

**Great Lord Enma: ruler of Hell**

**On another note, whenever I think of what Chihiro and Haku will say, I imagine it with their voice from the movie, sadly, I've only watched the dub so far, so it leaves much to be desired, but it does help me keep check on their characters, haha, and also to reassure me that they're not too out of character/slapped**

**I made this chapter a bit longer, just because things were going a bit too slow and yeah *shrugs***

**Enjoy~!**

* * *

Chihiro let out a deep sigh as she leaned against her shoe locker, her mind somewhere else as Emi kept chattering away about the karaoke bar that they were going to to celebrate her success. She kept thinking back to lunch with Haku; he was there, but he didn't really talk much. He just sat there and watched them talk about the school festival, but even though he wasn't really included in the conversation, he looked...happy. Even in class, Chihiro would sometimes feel his eyes on her and when she thought he wasn't looking, she would sneak a glance and see a small smile play at his lips, covered by his hand so only she can see it as he stared at the board.

_He was all mean at first but now he's acting a little nice. Unlike last time, he was nice and then- wait, last time?_ Chihiro stopped in her train of thought, startled by what she had said, or thought. _I've never even met him before! How could there be a last time?_ But a voice in the back of her head kept whispering that she knows Haku, that there was a time when they were friends, even if only for a brief time. She needed to find out her relation with Haku, and fast. Chihiro thought she could ask Bakal; after all, Emi did say they were related somehow. Emi! She nearly forgot she's about to go out with Emi, so talking with Bakal would have to wait.

Chihiro grumbled under her breath and Emi finally noticed her friend's annoyance. "Are you getting impatient? I'm sorry, I just can't seem to find my purse. I'm sure I have it somewhere…" The girl kept rummaging through her small locker and then through her school bag but couldn't find the purse anywhere.

"You sure you didn't leave it at home or in class?" Chihiro asked while scratching her head. "You normally don't lose things easily since you're so neat."

"No, I'm pretty sure I brought it with me today." Emi visibly became more and more stressed out as she looked through her bag again.

"Emi-chan! Chi-chan!" The two girls looked up to find Demetri running to them with a small pink purse in his hands, seeming out of breath. "Kohaku-kun heard that you were looking for your purse and he saw that someone had it!"

Chihiro raised both of her brows as Haku came up behind them, holding a boy by the back of his collar. "I was just passing by. I saw this guy take it from your bag before you left with Chihiro." He roughly pushed the boy to the floor, forcing him to bow his head.

"Ow! Quit it, man!"

"Apologize, thief," Haku growled menacingly, his emerald eyes looking extremely cold.

"Geez, alright already! Sorry I took your purse, now let go already!" the boy spat, and Haku glanced at Chihiro instead of Emi as if saying, _Was that good enough?_

Demetri handed the purse to Emi and she hugged it close to her chest while Chihiro and Haku dealt with the could-have-been thief. "That wasn't very nice, you know. You're lucky that I'm normally a forgiving person," Chihiro said with a hard look. She crossed her arms over her chest and tapped her foot repeatedly. "But when it comes to my friends, I won't allow you to get away with it so easily. You'll have to help Emi-chan with all her daily tasks for a whole week if you don't want me to report this to the teacher."

"That's not enough for a thief, Chihiro," Haku said sternly. "Justice has to come to criminals like these."

The boy started to protest but Emi cut him off with a smile. "It's okay, Chihiro-chan, Haku-kun. It's only a purse, I didn't have any money in it or anything. It's just that," Emi made a quick glance at Demetri and her face blushed a little, "this purse is a present so I didn't want to lose it…You can go now, I forgive you," she told the boy and, reluctantly, Haku released his tight grip on the boy's collar.

"I'll be watching you," he said quietly so only the boy and Chihiro would hear him and the boy scrambled away with his tail between his legs.

Demetri scratched his head and sighed. "Thanks, Kohaku-kun. You didn't have to help but you did. I think I'm starting to like you a little," he said with a dimpled smile and Haku only nodded before starting to walk away.

"Strange guy, that Haku," Chihiro murmured as she watched his back.

"Oh, I should have invited him to karaoke!" Emi realized as they left the school building, smacking her forehead. "He went out of his way to help me and I didn't even thank him properly!"

"Too late now, he's gone," Demetri said as he scanned the crowd of students leaving the campus.

"Oh well, there's always next time. Chihiro-chan, the karaoke bar is on the way to your neighborhood, so is it okay if I hang there afterwards?" Emi asked as Chihiro walked beside them silently.

"Huh? Okay, sure," she said and they headed for the karaoke bar.

* * *

The trio walked down the streets from the karaoke bar, laughing and pushing each other around. "Who knew Demetri had such a fine pair of lungs?" Chihiro snorted as the Irish boy blushed madly. "I'm sure the girls would love it if you would serenade them sometimes."

"Stop it, my singing is not that bad," he muttered, digging his hands in his pockets.

"We're not saying it's bad, Demetri-kun, it's just that you were amazingly good!" Emi tried to explain but it just made him even redder. "What's wrong with a guy who can reach those high F's?"

"Well, the fact that I'm a guy with a high-pitched voice is a good candidate for why it's wrong," he said, shoving Emi's shoulder as Chihiro snickered, causing Demetri to push her from behind and make her trip.

"Such a bashful Irish boy, I thought you loved showing off your good qualities!" She shouted as she skipped ahead, out of the range of his embarrassed attacks.

Chihiro turned around and found Haku ahead of her, sitting on the low, yellow-brick wall that guarded the front of Bakal's house. He had a faraway look in his eyes and he appeared to be talking to no one. But she squinted and barely made out a hazy figure that stood a little above his head. "Haku..?"

"Huh? What was that, Chihiro-chan?" Emi asked as the two caught up to her pace. "You see Haku-kun? Where?"

"Oh, over there, on the wall," Demetri said and pointed at Haku who finally noticed them looking at him, a surprised look written on his face.

"I still don't see anything," Emi began to pout and crossed her arms. "Are you two messing with me because it isn't funny at all."

"We're not! I swear, there's Haku sitting on the wall right," Chihiro glanced back at the wall and it was bare; no Haku in sight. "...there. Huh? He disappeared!"

Demetri scratched the back of his neck. "He was just there. Where did that guy go?"

"...," Chihiro stared at the wall, as if staring would bring Haku back. "Am I seeing things again? But no, Demetri also saw so…"

"Chihiro-chan? Are you okay?" Emi asked, peeking up at her face with a worried expression. "You want us to go home now and let you rest? You're probably really tired."

"Ah, no, it's okay. It's just that…" Her gaze returned to Bakal's house and Emi followed her eyes.

"Oh! You want to go to Harada-san's? Sure, let's all go together! I've always wanted to meet him!" Emi grinned excitedly.

"I'm not sure if we should intrude unannounced…" Chihiro said reluctantly, deep in thought.

"Oh, come one! It's just a quick visit and we'll be on our way home! Please, Chihiro-chan, pleeeaaaaseeee?" Emi gave her the puppy eyes and she sighed in defeat.

"Alright, only ten minutes, otherwise, I'm sending you two home."

"Yay~! Let's go, Demetri-kun!"

Emi started dragging Demetri ahead and Chihiro shook her head a bit with a small smile of amusement. "Those guys, ha."

* * *

A surprised Bakal opened the door to find two eager faces and one apologetic one, but nevertheless, he invited them in without hesitation. "So you're Chihiro's friends. I'm Bakal Harada, nice to meet you," he said hospitably as he served the high school students some tea and cookies.

"Hi, Harada-san! I'm Emi, and this is Demetri!" Emi introduced with a big smile as Demetri quietly ate a cookie. "I heard you're related to the new transfer student in school,Nigihayami Kohaku."

"Ah, Haku, yes, he's a distant cousin of mine," Bakal laughed a bit nervously.

"How come you didn't tell me your cousin was coming, Harada-san?" Chihiro asked with pursed lips. "It would have been a good heads up to know about your very strange, mood-shifting cousin, you know?"

"Strange? How so?" _Don't tell me Haku already did something not human-like?_ Bakal thought worriedly.

"Well, he's all cold one moment and nice the next."

"Oh, he tends to do that." _Yes! Haku isn't as stupid as I expected!_

"Watch what you're thinking," Haku muttered under his breath so only Bakal could hear as he entered the small living room. Bakal cringed and scratched his head. _I didn't know you could read minds._

"I don't read minds, your face reveals a lot more than you think, Bakal," Haku replied, nonchalantly sitting beside Chihiro who gave him a strange look. "What? If you have a problem with me sitting here, then say something, Chihiro," he said, not really expecting a reply. She probably couldn't see him with his spiritual cloak on anyway, much less hear him.

"Not that there's a problem, but you just sat there so casually, Haku," she replied as he took a sip of his tea before spitting it out comically. "Whoa! Did I say anything wrong?" she asked as he choked on the tea and Demetri tried to stop himself from laughing while Emi looked around with a confused look.

"Haku? Are you guys messing with me again?" Emi asked as Chihiro awkwardly patted Haku's back to help him with the coughing. "Chihiro-chan, stop messing with me," she whined and Demetri gave her a baffled look.

"We're not, Emi-chan, Kohaku-kun is right there," he said, using his jade eyes to point at Haku.

"No he's not!"

Bakal lifted his hands and put them back down, flustered, as if wanting to do something but not knowing what. "Uh…Emi-chan, would you please help me in the kitchen? I didn't make enough snacks!"

"Huh? Uhm, okay, but-" Bakal had her dragged out of the living room before she could protest.

Haku finally recovered from his coughing fit, and sat up to try and shrug off his earlier embarrassing moment. "Ahem, forgive me for that," he managed to say with slightly pink cheeks before putting on his usual passive look. "So...you two can see me?"

"Why...yes, we can see you, we're not blind, Kohaku-kun," Demetri retorted, blowing a puff of hair that made his light hair bounce up on his forehead. "What's strange is how you just come in like you own the place."

"I would have been more polite if I had known you two can see me so clearly," Haku murmured a reply. He scrunched his brows up together as he leaned on his knees with a pensive look. "So even the foreigner can see spirits…this is strange. Something is at work here…"

"Earth to Haku, earth to Haku, what are you talking about?" Chihiro asked. He's speaking as strangely as Bakal had the other day, and it was starting to nerve her. All this talk about spirits is driving her insane, but for some reason, a small part of her completely fine about it.

"You two...can see spirits," he said bluntly.

"No! That's crazy! I can't see spirits!" she shouted defiantly, jumping to her feet.

"Spirits?" Demetri repeated with a confused look.

"Chihiro, you have to believe me when I say this, spirits are real," Haku said sternly but she shook her head. "Why should you doubt when even Bakal said so? When your friend over there can see me as well, but the girl couldn't?"

"No! Go away! This is just another hallucination!" Chihiro screamed, running out of the house while holding her head with both hands. It was starting to throb, and has been ever since Bakal first mentioned seeing spirits yesterday. She felt like her head was going to explode from all the stress from the dreams, the 'hallucinations', Haku, Bakal, and just about anything spirit-related. She ran blindly down the streets, and her foot slipped as she tried to go down the steps to the park nearby. "Kyaaaaaa!" she shrieked out of the top of her lungs as she tumbled down the stone steps and crashed face first into a stone wall at the bottom of the stairs. "Ughhh," she groaned, her face planted in the wall. She took a step back and rubbed her face, thinking she just broke her nose. "Somehow this feels like déjà vu," she mumbled as she sunk to the ground, leaning against the wall while keeping her eyes closed.

Chihiro held her head in her hands and buried her face in her knees, trembling. "Why? What's happening to me?" I_ feel just as confused as that night eight years ago…_Her eyes flew open at the thought, and she nearly jumped out of her skin when she saw a handful of ghostly figures hover several yards away, giving her dark looks. Chihiro curled into a smaller ball, willing herself to disappear as a dark-green demon with horrible horns rose out of the ground in front of her, a heavy club slung behind its grotesque head. "I'm dreaming! I'm dreaming! Come on, wake up!" Chihiro sobbed, feeling like a ten-year old again as she rocked herself back and forth, repeating the words. "Wake up, wake up, wake up! Go away! Disappear!"

"Haha, look, the human is scared," an ugly voice came from the horned demon and a ripple of laughter swept among the ghosts. The demon licked its fangs for teeth and eyed her hungrily. "Smells bad, but has a powerful aura. You'll do good to be my dinner, human."

Chihiro's throat constricted, and she couldn't make a sound or move an inch as the demon slowly walked up to her, cornered with nowhere to run if she could just get her legs to move. _I can't move my legs!_ The feeling of immobile-ness felt very familiar to her, but she could honestly care less about it, not with a horrible demon wanting her for a meal! Tears began pooling at her brown eyes as the demon started reaching out for her with gnarled, clawed hands. She squeezed her eyes shut and screamed in her mind. Someone save me! Help! HAKU!

Suddenly, a great rush of wind knocked her over and she could hear the demon grunting as if he was flung away. Chihiro opened her eyes as Haku stood over her protectively, a fierce, murderous look in those green eyes of his. "What's an oni of Enma doing here? So far from the fiery depths of Hell, I dare say this cannot be a simple stroll through the park," Haku spat, his body leaned and ready to jump the demon at any time. "You can't be here to punish this mortal, she also have done nothing wicked enough for your attention."

The oni guffawed, its ugly teeth glinting in the light of the setting sun. "What's more wicked than going to the spirit world where no human belongs, Nigihayami Kohaku nushi? The Great Lord Enma has sent me to right its wrongs."

_IT?! I'm obviously a girl!_ Chihiro tried to say but her body was completely frozen, so the silent protest went unheard. Haku narrowed his eyes, looking at the demon levelly. "It's been eight years, why would Enma wait that long to punish this 'wicked' human?"

"Time's not a matter to us in Hell," the oni gnashed its fangs and gripped its club. "I'm here for the girl, so hand her over."

"Never. I'll never let you touch Chihiro," Haku growled, and with a flash of bright light, he was no longer there and was replaced by a great white dragon, its green mane flowing in the sudden gust of wind from his transformation. The dragon surrounded Chihiro with its long, slender body, preventing any of the yurei, the ghosts, from approaching her. It let out a roar and reared on its claws. Chihiro watched with large, frightened eyes, as the dragon swiped at all of the yurei and they began to evaporate in black tendrils that left dark goo on the dragon's claws. The oni cursed under its breath as the dragon began advancing on it, emerald eyes alight with fury.

The oni lunged at the dragon, swinging its heavy club with horribly accurate aim for the head. The dragon barely dodged in time, ducking from the club's swift arc, and bared its fangs before headbutting the oni. The oni was sent flying across the small park, crashing heavily into the cement, while the dragon flew towards it, one claw raised for the kill. The oni muttered a few words under its breath and was engulfed in darkness, but not before the dragon raked its claws across the oni's face, four large gashes sprouting out. "I'll be back! And punishment will be delivered!" the oni roared as the darkness disappeared, leaving only a small pool of dark, murky blood.

Chihiro trembled at the sight, and began to panic when the dragon turned around and began approaching her. _No, go away!_N She thought, half scared to death. The dragon grunted with a slight shake of its head before another flash of brilliant light and Haku was there again, his hands covered in the dark slime that came from the yurei. "Chihiro, it's alright now."

"No!" Chihiro shook her head frantically, blinking away tears.

"Don't be afraid, I'm on your side. I'm here to help you," Haku said calmly, kneeling beside her and caressing her cheek, wiping the tears away.

"No, go away! This is just a dream!" She cried, trying to get out of his grip but he only hugged her head and patted her back soothingly.

"Don't you remember? It was the same eight years ago by the river," he murmured softly, as he embraced the trembling girl. "Like before, I'm here to help you. I won't hurt you, Chihiro."

"I don't want to remember," she hiccupped, her nose running. She felt like a useless child again, powerless, weak. "Ugh!" she groaned as a sharp pain came into her head.

"Chihiro? What is it? What's wrong?" Haku asked, observing her face, looking for any injuries.

"My head hurts." Chihiro squeezed her eyes shut as memories resurfaced. She was huddled beside a stone bridge on the riverbank. She remembers that she was scared to death, and then her body started disappearing, but then… "I've...met you before," she finally whispered, finally accepting the reality of the situation, or more like, the insanity of it all. "Eight years ago...you saved me from disappearing."

"Yes, and you saved me from bleeding to death, and you gave me back my name," Haku smiled warmly, touching his forehead to hers. "I've been trying to tell you all along, Chihiro."

"Haku…"

"Chi-chan!" Demetri called out as he appeared from the corner, his face frantic and he panted to regain his breath. "Are you okay, Chi-chan? Why did you run out like that?" he asked, his face creased with worry.

"Demetri," Chihiro said, remaining where she sat curled up in the ground as Haku stood up and wiped the slim off his hands.

"You, Kohaku-kun, have a lot of explaining to do, making Chihiro upset," Demetri said darkly, clenching his fists. Haku stared at him with a passive look, remaining silent. "What's that on your hands? Is that blood? And why is Chi-chan on the ground?"

"It's not safe to explain here," Haku finally said in a quiet voice. He glanced at Chihiro who hasn't moved at all since the oni's arrival. "Can you get up, Chihiro?"

She shook her head. "I can't move. What should I do?" Chihiro asked, a hint of panic in her voice, and Haku smiled at the situation._ Just like back then, hopeless still, but she'll get stronger_, he thought as he kneeled beside her again, running his hand over her legs while muttering a spell.

"There, all better," he said, holding her hand as she unsteadily stood on her feet.

"I'll help her," Demetri snapped, snatching Chihiro's hands from Haku's which made the spirit frown at his impudence. The Irish boy looked her up and down and nodded in relief when he saw that she was alright. "We're going back to Harada-san's. Emi-chan is waiting for us there."

"Okay," was all she said.

"And you, Kohaku-san, better tell us what's going on," the boy growled and Haku mentally rolled his eyes but kept a straight face.

"Of course, you deserve an explanation," he said as they started the walk back to Bakal's house.

Chihiro allowed herself to be led, her mind wandering to the depths of her memories, willing for more to turn up and reveal themselves to her. So many things happened that day, Haku coming to school, Emi's purse, the spirit talk, and the oni attack! She was left dazed and frightened by the events, but at the same time, she can finally accept them. After all, now she knows that she can trust Haku, just because of that one memory by the riverbank. Chihiro could feel it, that this is only the beginning of the changes. And by far, the most easiest of her challenges to come.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's note:**

**Well, in this chapter, Chihiro finally believes in spirits, woo! She knows that she and Haku were close back then, but she just can't recall the memories! It's mainly a lot of explaining here, but it is a slightly longer chapter than usual so please enjoy it! I'll try to update as often as possible~~**

* * *

"We can't talk about it with the girl here," Haku suddenly said when the three stopped at the gate in front of Bakal's house.

Chihiro rubbed her eyes with the hand not being held by Demetri's as the Irish boy gave him a suspicious look. "Do you mean Emi-chan? Why not? She needs an explanation as well," Demetri said coldly.

"She cannot see spirits like you two, she doesn't have the ability for it, so explaining to her what can't be seen will just confuse her," Haku explained calmly, ignoring the steel in Demetri's voice. He opened the gate for them and walked up to the front door. "You will need to bring her home."

"And leave Chi-chan alone with you?" Demetri didn't like the idea at all; the small trust he had for Haku all but disappeared ever since he upsetted Chihiro earlier, and was replaced with caution and dislike. Especially after he found her in the park with tears and frightened like she saw a ghost.

"It's okay, Demetri, I'll be fine by myself. Harada-san is here, too," Chihiro placed a hand on her friend's arm in reassurance.

"...Okay, if you say so," he said reluctantly and the three entered the house quietly. Emi rushed to greet them from the living room with a worried look on her face, and an equally worried Bakal was not far behind.

"Chihiro-chan! Demetri-kun! Why did you guys run out like that?" Emi cried out, grabbing Chihiro's other hand. "Chihiro-chan, your face is all dirty and red! Did you run into a wall again? And why do you look so scared."

Chihiro smiled at her friend. "I'm fine, I just bumped into something, that's all."

"But-," Emi began to say but Demetri cut her off.

"Chi-chan is tired, we should go home now. I'll walk you to the station, Emi-chan," Demetri said, letting go of Chihiro's hand to take Emi's wrist. He bowed his head to Bakal in respect. "Thanks for letting us come over, Harada-san, we'll be on our way now." He dragged Emi out of the house, leaving Chihiro alone with Bakal and Haku.

"Emi didn't even see you standing there," Chihiro said to Haku. "You're really a spirit?" He nodded and Bakal raised his brows at this.

"You believe in spirits now, Chihiro?" The man asked and she nodded. "Well, that's good! That must mean your memories have returned! Here, let's sit down and talk about it!" Bakal smiled and made the two sit down in the living room again.

"I can see spirits but my memories haven't completely returned yet," Chihiro said with a rueful smile. "But I can remember some things, like the night I first met Haku." She can remember how frightened she was, but by what she cannot. All she knows is that Haku had helped and comforted her, promising her that everything will be alright. His voice sounded so gentle, so soothing, just like earlier, and Chihiro truly felt that everything is okay. "I'm sorry for how I acted earlier, Haku, Harada-san. I just didn't understand what was happening and it made me scared."

Bakal smiled and patted her head. "It's only normal to freak out like that, Chihiro. The truth is truly very crazy. But we just need to learn to accept it and just deal with it."

She nodded in agreement before turning to face Haku who sat on her other side. "Haku, won't you tell me why I can't remember a lot of things? Are my dreams really memories?"

"Of course, all of your dreams has happened before," Haku replied. He brushed a hand through his dark hair and looked at her thoughtfully with his emerald eyes. "The reason why you have holes in your memory would be because of the Spirit Gate. When you left the Spirit World, it took away your memories of it in order to ensure you wouldn't come back to find it. But Zeniba knew you would one day return so she put a protective charm on your hair tie to safely store your memories until you needed to remember again. In fact, the hair tie gave me your location so I could reach you in time before the oni could hurt you."

"Zeniba? The name is familiar but..." Chihiro trailed off. Her hand unconsciously reached up to her ponytail where the purple hair tie kept her brown hair in check. A tingle spread out throughout her entire person as her fingers touched the hair tie, and she felt a surge of warmth that made her smile a little. "I hope I'll remember her soon."

Haku took her other hand in his and gave her a small smile. "Don't worry, I'm sure that your memories will come back soon, Chihiro. It's just a matter of time before they return."

Bakal watched the two fondly. _These two must have been really close, I can tell they care deeply for one another._ "Well, when you completely remember, I would love to hear your story, Chihiro. Excellent for my research, haha."

She rolled her eyes a bit before giggling. "No wonder Harada-san believed in spirits so easily, it's all for your research," she retorted.

"Now, that's not the only reason!" He was about to defend himself when Demetri walked in with a solemn look. "Ah, Demetri-kun, welcome back. Hm? You're sweating; don't tell me you ran here from the station?"

Chihiro stared at Demetri whose face was flush and sweaty from the run. His light brown hair was all messed up and tossed all over from the wind, and he panted to catch his breath. "You didn't have to rush, Demetri, we're not going to disappear or anything."

"With Kohaku-kun, I can't be too worried," Demetri said bitterly as he threw a glare at Haku who gestured for him to sit down. "Would you please explain to us what in the world is going on now? What happened earlier?"

Haku took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He was silent for a few moments, trying to figure out how to explain without going into great detail. After all, his story is a long and tiresome one, and dropping everything on them at once won't do any good. "Earlier, Chihiro ran away because she didn't want to believe that there are spirits. However, I am proof of spirits, since I am one. The reason why the girl, Emi, could not see me earlier is because I was in my spirit state, and only humans with special abilities can see spirits in this state. Obviously, she didn't."

"Mm," Chihiro mumbled in agreement as she sat on the edge of her seat, also eager for an explanation. She wanted to know about those ghosts and demon she saw earlier, and why they had attacked her. And about Haku and his spirit ness.

"When I found Chihiro earlier in the park, she was surrounded by a bunch of yurei. Ghosts. And also, there was a demon there, an oni. It was apparently sent by the Great Lord Enma, who rules Hell and punishes the wicked, and tried to kill Chihiro."

Demetri inhaled sharply at this and a grave look clouded Bakal's usual cheery face. Haku stared at his feet, his frustration growing as he continued to explain. "The demon said it was there to punish Chihiro for coming to the Spirit World eight years ago. But I don't think that's it. Enma wouldn't take that long to punish someone wicked."

"Are you saying that it just wanted to randomly kill Chihiro?" Bakal asked in a hushed voice, his brows drawn together in worry at the severity of the situation. No wonder Chihiro had seemed so frightened earlier. She was nearly eaten and killed by a monster.

"No, that's not it. The oni are usually attracted to powerful spirits with strong souls. There must be something about Chihiro that attracted its attention to come to the human world for one human." Haku clenched his fists tightly, angry that he couldn't have been there earlier to prevent the whole thing from happening. He nearly put Chihiro in danger and he could never forgive himself if she had gotten hurt. He would have torn the demon apart with his own bare hands if it had laid a single claw on her.

"Wait, so you're saying that Chi-chan was attacked by a demon?" Demetri exclaimed, his jade eyes showing his disbelief. "And that she's been to this 'Spirit World' or something"

"Yes, is it that hard to believe, Demetri?" Chihiro joked meekly, patting her friend's shoulder. "Although I don't remember much about my trip, I can say for sure myself that I went there." Those dreams of her cannot be made with just pure imagination. She sighed, impatient for her memories to return. It frustrates her, not remembering what would be the most amazing time of her childhood. "That demon...oni, right? Earlier, the oni said I had a strong aura. What does that mean, Haku?"

Haku grimaced at this and wearily rubbed his forehead, messing up his bangs. "I fear that it is your soul the oni is after. Humans who have the ability to see spirits have powerful souls and to demons, the more powerful the soul, the stronger they get. Strong souls, good eating," he spat the last part, disgusted by the demon's horrible appetite.

"Wait...doesn't that mean Harada-san and Demetri would be targeted too?!" Chihiro gasped, her friends' safety first in her list of priorities. She couldn't bear to see them getting hurt; they did nothing to deserve being targeted by demons. And from her experience earlier, it was extremely frightening. How are they going to school if there are demons everywhere wanting their souls? Chihiro felt that she was too scared to even take a step outside the house for fear of these evil spirits.

Haku noticed her concern and placed a hand on her knee to comfort her. "Don't worry, Chihiro. I won't let anyone hurt you or your friends. I'll protect you with my life," he promised in earnest, his eyes full of warmth and he sounded so sure of himself that she felt secure and safe.

Chihiro calmed down for a moment before realizing something. "But...I don't want you to get hurt either, Haku," she said quietly, her forehead creased with worry.

Haku felt touched for her concern, and was about to say something when Demetri suddenly asked, "Why would these demons...these oni want to be stronger?" It was a question that he was wondering about for a while now, and also a good way to break the two from their small, two-person world. Bakal chuckled to himself, despite the gravity of the situation, seeing a little green monster in the Irish boy.

"I have my suspicions, " Haku began carefully, not wanting to scare them about the prophecy just yet, "bu I don't have much evidence backing it up,. I don't want to worry you three for no reason. Not yet, at least. You should try to enjoy this peace while you can."

"I'm afraid that the chances of getting attacked already broke the peace we had," Bakal said with a wry smile. "But you are right, Haku. We should keep to business as usual for now, but still be on our guard. We have no way of telling when the next oni attack will come, and to whom."

"Remain in your homes and only go out when it is absolutely necessary," Haku instructed sternly. "There is a protective charm for each house where spirits can only enter if invited. It's an old charm that has existed since ancient times to keep the demons out and peace in. No such spirit can ever break the charm; not without powerful dark magic."

"Did you put it there, Haku?" Chihiro asked curiously and he laughed and shook his head.

"No. Once a home has been built, the protective charm is in place. It's deep magic, and it will never wear off no matter how much time has passed. Only if the home is abandoned then spirits can enter the premises." Haku glanced outside the window to see the sun setting, already near the horizon. "Chihiro, you and Demetri should go home now. Spirits are more active at night. At all costs, never be found outside when the sun is gone. And especially at three in the morning. We're most strongest at that time, especually demons."

Chihiro and Demetri nodded gravely, taking hia advice to heart. "Chi-chan, I'll walk you home before I go to the station," Demetri offered as they stood up. He may not be able to put up a fight against these spirits, but at least he could protect her and make sure she comes home safe.

"I'll go with you two," Haku said with a firm resolve. He was not about to let Chihiro out of his sight again, not until she's back home safe. And the Irish boy wasn't much of a shield against the spirits. "And then I'll make sure Demetri arrives at the station as well. If you're with me, not a single spirit will approach us."

"Okay!" Chihiro smiled at the two boys before bowing to Bakal, "Thanks for having us, Harada-san. And for putting up with me."

Bakal smiled back and walked the three outside to the gate. "Stay safe, you three! Try not to get hurt or anything!" He called out as they headed for Chihiro's house down the street. He stayed there until he was sure they reached her house before going back inside his own.

Outside her house, a small two-story with a blue wash, Chihiro hugged the boys and gripped each of their hands tightly in her own. "Get home safely, okay? I don't want you guys to be hurt," she said worriedly.

Haku squeezed her hand reassuringly. "Don't worry, Chihiro. I can protect myself. And I'll make sure that Demetri gets home unscathed as well."

Demetri hugged her shoulder and nodded. "You, too. Try not to run into anymore walls, okay, Chi-chan?"

"Mm, I can't promise that," Chihiro joked before stepping into her yard. She turned to face the two boys and waved her hand. "Good night, I better see you two tomorrow! Have a safe trip!"

"Good night, Chihiro."

"Good night, Chi-chan!"

Chihiro watched them walk away, standing in the orange cast of the setting sun until they were only two dots in the distance, slowly merging with the crowd headed for the train station. She stayed there for a few more minutes before her mother came out to call her inside. "Chihiro! Get inside and help me make dinner!"

"Coming, mom!" She threw one last glance towards the station before disappearing inside the house.

* * *

Haku and Demetri walked in an awkward silence, their eyes set on the station ahead of them. Haku knew that Demetri didn't trust him because of the oni attack earlier. And he had a feeling Demetri liked Chihiro a little. His presence here only got into the Irish boy's way, which is probably why he was all hostile. As for Demetri, he felt that Haku didn't like him all that well. But he didn't care what the spirit thought of him. After all, Haku appeared out of no where already being super close with Chihiro. It was strange, and it became even more confusing when Demetri learned about spirits and demons. Today was exhausting and he just couldn't wait to go home.

Much to his surprise, Haku broke their silence as they stood right outside the station. "I understand you don't like me because of earlier."

"You are correct," Demetri said, not looking at him.

"Please understand that I am here to protect Chihiro," Haku said fervently. "Just trust me that I will protect her and you, and any other mortal that can see spirits. I won't allow for any innocent to be eaten by those demons."

"What do you suspect, Kohaku-kun? " he suddenly asked.

"Pardon?"

"You said you suspect the oni's motives for targeting Chi-chan and wanting to get stronger. Tell me what you think," Demetri demanded. He turned to face Haku who was caught by surprise at the question. "You have to tell me. I need to know why Chi-chan is being targeted."

"...I am not sure if what I suspect is right," Haku said reluctantly, trying to keep a neutral look.

Demetri grabbed the collar of his shirt and glared at him, his jade eyes full of impatience and misdirected anger. "Tell. Me. I don't care if you're right or wrong, as long as I have an idea."

Haku set his mouth into a line at the hastiness of his actions. "It would cause useless worry for a mortal who just started believing in spirits."

"Does that even matter?" Demetri growled. "Burden me all you want, but if it's for Chi-chan, then I don't care how much I have on my plate."

"You care very deeply for Chihiro," Haku noted, a tinge of jealousy in his voice.

"She's my friend. Of course," the Irish boy said. "Now, spill it."

Finally reaching the end of his tolerance, Haku pried Demetri's hand off of his shirt with a stern look. "Listen, _human. _Even if you do know, there is nothing you can do to stop the demons from rising," he snapped angrily, frustrated at his impudence.

"From rising?" Demetri asked, a small smirk on his face for he was able to weedle out an answer from the spirit. "What do you mean?"

Haku sighed and grumbled to himself. "So much for keeping it to myself. Alright, Demetri. I have reason to believe that the oni are trying to gain more power to take over the Spirit World. And the human world is the perfect place to get the proper feeding for it."

* * *

Chihiro paced in her room worriedly. She couldn't stop thinking about the oni attack. Her purple hair tie glowed on her wrist as she brushed a hand through her long brown hair. "I won't be able to sleep like this," she sighed, tugging at the sleeve of her pajamas. She looked out the window at the night sky and the darkness that could possibly be hiding many demons and spirits waiting to eat her. Her eyes widened when she saw a certain river spirit standing in front of the gate to her house.

"Haku!" Chihiro opened the window and leaned on the sill, calling out to him in a hushed voice. She could see him smile at her in the moonlight. "Did Demetri get home safely?"

"Of course, I made sure not a single spirit trailed him from the station," Haku promised, remaining where he stood.

"Hm? Haku, you know you can come inside," she said while feeling a bit confused.

He raised his brows at her and she smacked her forehead. "That's right, the protection charm. Uhm, I give you permission to come in as often as you like," Chihiro said a bit awkwardly, not sure if that was the right thing to say.

Apparently it was, since Haku strolled in to her yard before floating up to her window and coming inside her bedroom. "Thank you, now I don't have to stare at your window all night to come inside," he joked gently, making her laugh.

"You're welcome, Haku. So why are you here?" Chihiro asked as she sat on her bed with her legs crossed.

"Just came to say good night and to make sure you're okay," he answered, standing in front of her with his arms crossed. "When you first came to the Spirit World, you were scared and cried a lot. I had to make sure you weren't crying by yourself."

Chihiro smiled at this. She remembered that she was indeed a crybaby at first, but she matured as she worked at the bathhouse. She's not as weak as before. "Thanks for worrying. I'm fine, Haku. I just can't sleep. My mind keeps remembering what happened and I would just get scared of what could have happened if you hadn't came in time." Her voice broke as she said that, but Chihiro refused to cry like earlier. She can't cry forever.

Haku sat on the bed beside her and hugged her head to his chest, eyes closed. "It's okay to be scared, Chihiro. As long as you remember that I'm here to protect you. Everything will be fine."

Chihiro could feel her cheeks burn but, reluctantly, she hugged him back, burying her face in his chest. She took a deep breath and smelled salty wind and fresh water. "I wish I can remember back then. I want to know why I feel so secure with you, Haku, and why I trust you so much."

He squeezed her and rested his face on her shoulder. "I hope so, too, Chihiro, remember soon, please. It hurts, you not remembering."

The two stayed like that for awhile, but eventually Chihiro fell asleep in his arms. Haku smiled and rested her in the bed, tucking the blankets up to her chin and stroked her cheek. "Sleep well, Chihiro, and remember with your dreams," he murmured before he left her room, disappearing into the night.


	6. Chapter 6

Chihiro floated aimlessly, allowing herself to be pulled by the gentle current of the river. Her hair billowed around her head like a halo, and she breathed bubbles instead of sucking in the water around her. She could see the bottom of the river through the clear water, the floor of the river swimming with fish and covered in river plants. Dugongs floated above the river plants that thrived in the water. _It's so beautiful_, Chihiro thought to herself. A small smile spread on her face just as a cold current whirled around her, and she saw a streak of white burst past her, leaving a trail of bubbles behind. _A dragon..?_

Just as the thought came to her mind, the water around her suddenly became very cold and icky to her bare skin. The once clear water became murky, and a foul stench filled her nostrils as Chihiro's eyes widened at the now polluted river. Empty beer bottles and trash buried itself in the sand on the river floor, and plastic waste floated around her. It slowly became darker and darker as something man-made stretched above the surface of the river, covering it up. Chihiro began to panic as she became trapped underwater. _What's happening?!_ She screamed in her mind as she flailed in the disgusting water.

"_Calm down, dear, it's only a dream."_ An old woman's voice spoke to her, echoing throughout the river. Chihiro looked around for the source when the purple hair tie she wore around her wrist began to glow and an image of a large-headed woman with a beak-like nose, grey hair, and bulgy brown eyes appeared before her. "_Hello, Chihiro. My, you've grown up to be such a fine young lady,_" the old woman smiled kindly.

_Who are you?_ Chihiro tried to ask but only bubbles escaped from her mouth. Nevertheless, the woman understood what she was saying.

"_Don't you remember me? I'm your Granny,_" the old woman cackled.

The young girl squinted her eyes hard at the woman when a flash of realization occurred. "Granny...Zeniba?!" Chihiro exclaimed. There was a white flash of light and suddenly the two were no longer in the filled in river, but instead, on a green meadow with many wildflowers. "I remember you, Granny! I miss you!" she cried out, hugging Zeniba who returned the embrace fondly.

"I_'ve missed you, too, Chihiro_," Zeniba murmured. She took Chihiro's face in both of her wrinkled hands and observed the girl. "_Oh my...it seems your soul is stronger than ever. I'm glad Haku was able to get to you in time."_

"Haku?" The girl raised her brows at the mention of his name.

_"He's been trying to get to you for many years now, honey,_" Zeniba said with a warm smile._ "Kept me working for days on end to find another opening to the human world so he could fulfill his promise."_

"His promise," Chihiro repeated slowly and then another dream flashed in her mind.

_Will we meet again?_

_Of course we will_

_Promise?_

_Promise._

"Oh...that one, yes, he kept his promise alright," Chihiro laughed, glad that more memories were becoming clearer to her. "Granny, do you know about the oni's attack?"

_"Why of course. I foresaw it during my meditations many years ago which is why I gave you that hair tie, to protect you,_ " Zeniba pointed to the purple hair tie that Chihiro's friends had made for her eight years ago. _"I'm glad it was of some use. Those foul oni...what is Enma thinking?"_

"Do you really think that Enma is not the cause of this, Granny?"

Zeniba shook her head. "I_'m not sure of anything, Chihiro. Only that the oni is trying to gain power for Amaterasu knows what. But that's not why I'm here. I have something to tell you, Chihiro, something very important."_

"What is it, Granny?" Chihiro asked, eager to know why the witch visited her in her dreams.

"_I'm giving you this trunk. It will have everything you need to protect yourself from the oni when Haku's not around._" Zeniba waved her long, gnarled fingers and a small, wooden trunk appeared beside Chihiro, looking old but secure. "I _don't have long before the spell wears off, so I'll only explain it once and you best listen carefully, Chihiro."_

"Okay!"

"_Inside this are useful items you can use to defend yourself from evil spirits, and a book that has the answers to everything you need to know. It's an ancient book passed from my grand father to my father and to me. And also, my golden seal. You'll know what to do with them once you wake up_," Zeniba explained hurriedly, her time limited. "_Make sure to keep these items safe and with you at all times. Give Haku the golden seal, and tell him that it will help locate the others. Chihiro, I wish I have longer to be with you but the spell…"_

"I know, it's okay, Granny," Chihiro smiled, hugging Zeniba one last time. The witch was slowly starting to fade away and a heavy feeling of sadness weighed her heart. "Before you go, Granny, I have one last question. Will I ever come back to the Spirit World?"

Zeniba smiled grimly at her last question. "_All you need to know is in that book, Chihiro. Good bye. We'll meet again soon, whether it's in this world or yours._" And with that, the witch disappeared completely from the meadow, leaving Chihiro alone.

The young girl looked up at the vast blue sky and closed her eyes. "Bye, Granny." When she opened her eyes again, Chihiro was back in her own room, in the comfort of her bed with the morning sun streaming through the window. She sighed and sat up, stretching her arms while she was at it. "Even with all this supernatural stuff going on I still have to go to school," she grumbled as she hastily grabbed her uniform and rushed to the bathroom for her shower.

* * *

Chihiro was tugging a brush through her wet, tangled hair when she felt eyes on her. She whirled around to find Haku sitting on her window sill with a small smile, his eyes slightly hidden by his fringe. "Good morning, Chihiro," he said with a casual look. She felt her cheeks burn as she gaped at him. "What's wrong?" He asked a bit innocently.

"P-people don't just barge into someone's room early in the morning!" Chihiro exclaimed with a pink face. She felt under dressed, only wearing the school skirt and a tank top, her blouse flung over her shoulder messily. Haku seemed unfazed, not understanding that the situation they were in was actually extremely awkward.

"I thought you gave me permission to come in as often as I liked," he reminded.

"I did, but at least wait until they're actually dressed!" She shouted. "Are you actually a pervert, Haku? I remember that you snuck into the woman's sleep quarters with no second thought just to tell me to meet up at the bridge."

Haku laughed and shook his head. "I assure you I am not a pervert. You are dressed, and I did wait for you to finish in the bathroom before coming in. And," he added with a victorious look, "You recalled a memory! Well done."

"Huh? Wait, I did!" Chihiro gasped in realization, covering her mouth with her hands. She remembered her second morning in the Spirit World. She was still awake while the older women slept when Haku came in and placed a hand on her shoulder, whispering to her to meet by the bridge to go see her parents. _Parents_? Chihiro looked at Haku with a confused look. "Haku, were my parents with me in the Spirit World?"

"Not exactly," he answered. "They were turned into pigs by Yubaba because of their greed. You wanted to save them so you stayed even though you had a chance to go home."

"Oh." More memories came clearer into her mind as Chihiro remembered completely her first day in the Spirit World. She had met a weasel spirit named Lin and a spider spirit named Kamaji, and the many sootballs. A smile came on to her face, pleased to remember her past. "I remember. You were really bipolar, Haku."

Haku rolled his eyes when he noticed a small trunk sitting on top of her desk. "What's that, Chihiro?"

Chihiro turned to see what he was looking at and saw the trunk. "The trunk. Granny gave it to me!" She rushed to the chest and tried to open the brass clasp with fumbling hands to no avail. Haku came up from behind her and reached around her to open the trunk. Chihiro blushed at their closeness and focused her attention to his hands undoing the clasp and tried to ignore the heat of his body against her back.

He was able to flip the clasp and the trunk snapped open. The two peered inside and Haku widened his eyes at the contents. A thick, ancient-looking book rested on the red velvety lining in the trunk, closed by a brass clasp. A small, golden seal glinted beside it, and a few bottles of something crowded around the seal. There was a small metal rod dotted by white pearls and covered in strange engravings. A thick bundle of purple thread and two knitting rods were placed to the side with a small leather pouch. A tiny bird-looking figurine took one corner of the chest along with some seals, and last of all, another wooden chest. Haku took all this in, his emerald eyes unable to hide his surprise at the items. "Chihiro, where did you get these?"

"Granny gave it to me in a dream." Chihiro took out the tiny chest and opened it curiously, and was amazed by the many rings that glimmered before her. "She said that I would know what to do with them, but I don't even know what these are."

Haku took the chest of rings from her and gasped. "These are magical items, Chihiro! Each ring has a certain power that it can do. That rod over there, it can be used to fight spirits! And...is that Zeniba's golden seal?!" He exclaimed, holding the magical object to his eyes for a better look. "She gave you all these?"

"Yes, and she told me to tell you that you can use the seal to find the others," Chihiro relayed to him the witch's message from the night before.

Haku took hold of Chihiro's shoulders, looking her in the eyes intimately. "Chihiro, you said she gave you this in a dream? What did she say? What did you dream about?"

Chihiro was momentarily speechless at the intensity of his gaze before she could answer. "I-I was dreaming about this really pretty river when it suddenly became very polluted a-and I thought I was going to be trapped because someone was covering it up. Th-then, Zeniba started talking to me, saying that my soul got stronger and that she was glad you found me on time, Haku." She blushed at that, realizing that Haku had been trying to get to her for a very long time. "She said...to keep these with me at all times to defend myself from the oni. Also, that that book has all the answers we need and that we'll meet again soon."

Haku was silent at this new information, gazing at the golden seal in his hands. He turned it over and over, making Chihiro stand there awkwardly. Finally, he said, "Keep that rod with you, Chihiro, and take two of the rings. Put the book with your textbooks in your school bag and the seals. Place the tengu statuette on your windowsill, it will help ward off evil spirits for a mile around. Hide the thread and knitting needles in your drawers and put the trunk and the chest away underneath your bed." Chihiro followed his instructions carefully as Haku paced the room, the golden seal in hand. She chose a blue and a green jeweled ring and shoved it in her skirt pocket and placed the chest inside the trunk before sliding it underneath the bed. She threw the strange rod into her bag and placed the tengu statuette on her window, making sure it was facing east. Chihiro finally tucked away the thread and needles in her desk drawers before putting the rest of the items in her bag.

"What else, Haku?" She turned to face him, her school bag zipped shut on her bed bulging with the magical items.

"That's all, thank you." Haku looked at the golden seal one last time before slipping it away in his pants pocket. The situation must be more dangerous than I had expected if Zeniba went as far as to send a trunk of defenses for Chihiro to use, he thought, staring at the girl's face with a worried look. He didn't like the idea that Chihiro would need to use all of these items, even more with the tengu statuette. It was dangerous to ask for the help of these spirits; they can get very wild and tricky.

"Haku? Is there something wrong?" Chihiro asked, peering up at his face.

Haku shook his head and smiled at her softly. "It's nothing, don't worry about it. You should get dressed now, or your mother will wonder what's taking you so long." He started for the window when Chihiro grabbed his wrist.

"Haku, wait," she said. He turned around to face her, waiting. Chihiro took a deep breath and locked eyes with him. "Last night, you said it hurts, me not remembering. I kept wondering why I trusted you a lot even though we just met. I barely knew anything about our past, but now, I remember. You didn't just save me from disappearing, you also saved me from drowning. You helped me get my parents back and protected me from Yubaba. You were the first person to be nice to me and helped me, and you gave me onigiri when I was crying after seeing my parents as pigs." Chihiro took Haku's hands in hers and gazed up at him. "That's why I like onigiri so much. Why I dreamt about the river last night and about dragons. They were all you, Haku. Thank you. Even though I forgot about us, you still came to find me. You saved me from the oni and gave me the memories of the most amazing time of my life. Thank you, Haku. Because you never stopped caring about me through all this time."

He was silent for a few moments before Haku finally hugged Chihiro, burying his face in her still wet hair. "As corny as that sounded, thank you, Chihiro. For remembering." He actually meant it. The pain in his chest was gone now, knowing that she remembered everything. It was a wonderful feeling, the joy he felt in that moment. The two stood there, hugging each other for a long time in silence before Haku finally broke away and glanced outside the window. "I need to go now. I'll see you at school, Chihiro."

"See you, Haku," she smiled, waving bye as he climbed out the window and disappeared in the blink of an eye. Chihiro hovered beside the window for a few seconds before putting on her blouse and grabbing her school bag from the bed. "Time for school, I guess."

* * *

Chihiro came into the courtyard where her friends were waiting with a skip in her step. Demetri gave her a strange look while Emi ran up to her with arms open, ready to give a huge hug. "Good morning, Chihiro-chan!" Emi said with a big grin, relieved that her friend is all better.

"Good morning, Emi-chan. Hey, Demetri," Chihiro waved at the Irish boy who just narrowed his eyes at her. She gave him a confused look, glad that Emi couldn't see their exchange of facial expressions since they were hugging.

"You're awfully happy today," Demetri said while carefully choosing his words. He didn't want Emi to become suspicious and find out about the oni attack yesterday.

"Oh." Chihiro understood what he meant, that he was expecting her to be wary or scared or something. Which made her wonder, why wasn't she scared? An oni could spring out and attack her or her friends at any given moment, and all she had were the items given to her by Zeniba which she barely knew how to use.

"Don't tell me why, let me guess," Emi piped up, pulling away from her with a smirk, obviously misunderstanding what they meant. "You finally remember where you met Haku-kun." Chihiro gave her a look of surprise and blushed, the answer written on her face. "Ahh! I knew it! Do you like him, Chihiro-chan? Did anything happen between you two after we left? Haku-kun lives with Harada-san, right? You probably met up with him after we left."

Chihiro blinked rapidly, trying to recover from her surprise. Emi was spot on as to why she was happy this morning, and it embarrassed her. "Kinda...and I think Haku lives with Harada-san," she said slowly, not sure if what she said was right.

"So do you like him?" Emi asked while holding Chihiro's hands and looking up at her eagerly.

Chihiro's already pink face turned a bright red as she shook her head in denial. "No! I don't like him that way! Haku is like a brother to me!"

Demetri let out a sigh of relief as Chihiro stammered it out. He lifted his head to find Haku walking up to them with a calm expression, having not heard Chihiro's outburst. Emi noticed the river spirit and jumped towards him with a determined look. "Haku-kun, do you like Chihiro-chan?" She asked just as he reached them.

Haku blinked in surprise, not expecting to be asked that sort of thing. "Of course. Why else would we be friends?" He said with wide emerald eyes.

Emi pouted at their responses as Demetri grinned inwardly. He was glad that the two is either oblivious to their feelings or they have none at all. It gave him a better chance to get Chihiro. As for Chihiro, she was slightly disappointed in his answer. She was hoping, although the odds were not in her favor, that she might have a special place in Haku's heart._ I guess not, after all, he's a spirit and I'm a human,_ she grumbled in her thoughts.

Haku remained oblivious to her frustrations, not realizing that he had answered wrong. Instead, he glanced up at the morning sky with a faraway look before saying, "We should go to class," before beginning to walk away.

Emi gave Chihiro a sympathetic smile before pushing her ahead. "Just keep trying, Chihiro-chan!" She cheered, pumping her fist in the air.

Chihiro smiled back and turned around, running to catch up to Haku who was already near the entrance. "Haku, wait for me!" Haku stopped and politely waited for her before walking off again, not looking at her. "Why aren't you looking at me?" She asked curiously, peering up at his face.

Haku gave her an embarrassed look before setting his eyes straight ahead. "I'm like a brother to you?"

She blushed furiously, realizing that he had heard what she said. "Haku, I-" He cut her off by suddenly pulling her to the side of the hall and blocked her from the view of anyone in the hallway with his body while holding her against the wall. "H-Haku?!" Chihiro gasped, her heart pounding in her chest as he hugged her tightly. "People can see us!"

"No they can't, I'm blocking you," he murmured softly in her ear, his long, dark hair brushing against her neck. Haku gazed into her eyes, a piercing emerald that sent shivers down her person. "You don't like me?"

"I-I do!" Chihiro stammered while squirming to get free from his hold. She didn't feel comfortable with all these people who can see them being so intimate in public.

"Like a brother?" Haku's lips brushed against her cheek as he tried to get the answer he wanted to hear out of her. "Nothing more? It will never change?"

Chihiro felt like her heart was going to burst. "I don't know! It might change if you make it!" She exclaimed, her heart and mind a mess, not knowing what to say.

"So I have a chance?" Haku asked but Chihiro kept silent, not wanting to embarrass herself even more. He smiled and pulled away while tilting his head to the side. "Well, I suppose I'll have to pick up my work where I left it. I'll definitely get you to like me, Chihiro. After all these years, I have to."

He turned around as if to walk away but then faced her again. Before she could respond, Haku tilted Chihiro's face up and lightly kissed her on the lips, just a brush, before taking a step back and speeding away, leaving Chihiro standing there, fingers to her lips with a dazed look.

* * *

_What were you thinking, making her fall in love with you? Idiot!_ Haku thought angrily to himself as he burst through the classroom doors and headed for his desk. He was frustrated earlier, when he had heard that Chihiro didn't like him, not in the way he wanted. But what can you say after eight years? The two didn't really know each other that well to begin with, so he shouldn't feel surprised. Even so, Haku was still upset and answered in a way that made it seem like he had absolutely no feelings for Chihiro. He should have kept that act up. He didn't want to hurt her, but he went and blew it by telling her that he'll make her fall for him. He even went as far as to kiss her!

_You're an idiot who's just going to hurt Chihiro_, Haku mentally shouted. He was completely out of character, and it concerned him. _Must be the pollution getting to me,_ he grumbled in his mind as he lay his head on his desk. What was he going to do with himself?

* * *

**Author's note**

**In case you're like, what is up with this sudden development? All will be revealed in the next chapter o u ob**

**I'll just leave you guys hanging**


	7. Chapter 7

Demetri stared at the empty desk beside Haku as the teacher lectured to the class. Chihiro didn't come to first period, and she hasn't appeared for second period either. He was worried, she was so happy before school started so why is she not there? Demetri scratched his head furiously, glaring at his blank, open notebook. _Where is she?_ _Chi-chan never skipped class before. Did something happen?_ At that thought, the Irish boy snuck a glance at Haku who had his cheek his hand, gazing outside the window deep in thought. _Did he have anything to do with this?_ Demetri clenched his jaw and swiped his pencil off the desk, furious if the river spirit did anything bad to Chihiro. _If that Kohaku hurt Chi-chan in any way, I'd-_

His thoughts were interrupted as the teacher smacked their ruler on his desk. "Anastoga, you seem to think that you understand the lesson well enough to not pay attention during class, please explain to me the theory of quantum entanglement?"

Demetri paled, physics not being his best subject. "Ano...Uh…"

"If you were listening at all, you would know that I was talking about Kepler's Three Laws, and not quantum entanglement. Please pay attention, Anastoga." Demetri's face turned pink as the class rippled in laughter and the teacher walked over to Haku next who was still looking out the window. "Now, Nigihayami, it's your turn for a mock session. What is the density functional theory?" Haku didn't seem to notice the teacher's question and kept staring out the window. The teacher clicked their tongue and rapped their ruler on his desk. "Nigihayami, are you listening to me? Nigihayami, please look at me."

The students began to murmur around Demetri as Haku continued to ignore their teacher. "Wow, Nigihayami-kun has guts, ignoring sensei like that."

"Second day at school and he's already in trouble."

Demetri grimaced as he watched Haku and his teacher. _What's wrong with him?_ He thought when the door to the classroom rattled open. "Sorry I'm late, sensei," Chihiro breathed out as she stood at the door, her uniform a mess.

"Chi-chan! Where were you?" Demetri asked, immediately going over to her and checking for wounds. "Why are you covered in dirt?"

The young girl laughed meekly, rubbing the back of her head. "Ah...I tripped somewhere again. I'm okay."

"Ogino!" The teacher snapped, turning his attention away from Haku. "You're late! It's halfway through second period!"

"I'm sorry, sensei, it won't happen again!" Chihiro apologized, bowing deeply.

"Hmph. What's with my students misbehaving today?" The teacher grumbled. "Get to your seat."

Chihiro bowed again before walking to her seat. As she passed by Haku, she snuck a peek at him and gasped. "Haku! What's wrong? You're so pale!" She cried out, grabbing his shoulder and forcing him to face her. Dull green eyes stared into hers as recognition slowly registered in his face.

"Hm..? Oh, it's Chihiro," Haku said while slowly blinking. He looked away from her. "I'm fine."

"You sure?" She was about to ask when the teacher suddenly towered over the river spirit.

"Why, Nigihayami, you're responding now? That's perfect! Ogino, take your seat already," the teacher barked and Chihiro hurried to sit down, leaving Haku to his wrath.

* * *

_What's wrong with Haku? He hasn't been acting like himself_, Chihiro thought to herself worriedly as she washed her hands in the washroom during break period. She stared at her reflection in the mirror and unconsciously brought her fingers to her lips. _He even kissed me earlier._ The memory made her blush furiously and she tried to wave the thought away. It had shocked her, his actions that is.

After Haku left her standing there in the hallway, Chihiro had wandered out the school building and ended up at the school's back garden. There she sat amidst the beds of flowers, her knees pulled up to her chin, deep in thought. She kept remembering the kiss, and each time, her heart ached. She was confused. It wasn't like him to do that, to say what he did to her. Chihiro liked Haku, but she didn't know if it was the type of like that is romantic. It was all too sudden. They may have been great friends for that short time eight years ago, but she _just_ got her memories back. _This is almost like meeting a stranger and then agreeing to marry them the next day, _Chihiro had thought as she stared blankly at the colorful flowers that swayed in the morning breeze. She reached out to stroke a white-petaled flower with streaks of sea-green. _No, it's different from that. We were close back then but…_

Her thoughts kept going in an endless loop as she tried to figure out exactly what she was feeling and before she knew it, it was already halfway through second period. Chihiro had jumped to her feet and began sprinting for the school building when a certain little tree spirit had decided to throw an acorn at her and she fell flat on her face in the dirt. "Ow...why do I keep hurting my face," she grumbled, rubbing her nose as she got up to her feet. "Oh, my uniform's a mess! But I have to get to class, uh…"

"Hey lady! Why aren't you in class like the other stinky humans?" A young boy with tinted-green skin and curly hair the color of moss shouted at her with a huge white grin.

"Huh?! A spirit?" Chihiro had gasped at the sight, that being the first time she saw a spirit at school.

"Whoa! The human can see me! Neat!" The tree spirit grinned as he sat, perched on a thin limb of a tall maple tree. Chihiro gaped at the young spirit which had made him laugh. "Hey, lady, I think you're nice so I'm gonna tell you my name. I'm Momiji."

"...I-I'm Chihiro," she finally let out and Momiji laughed more.

"I know that! I see you everyday when you're eating your meals."

She looked at him, feeling a little confused when she realized something. "Wait a minute...that's the tree Haku fell out of yesterday!" Chihiro exclaimed, pointing at him.

"Yeah, he was snooping in my tree so I kicked him out," Momiji said bluntly, an accomplished look on his face.

"Ha, and he said he was just taking a nap," she scoffed, crossing her arms.

"He was snooping. I don't like people snooping in my tree," he had said with a huff before he frowned. "Hey, lady. Is the snoop okay? He felt weird."

"Huh?" Chihiro tilted her head and Momiji shook his head.

"Never mind."

"Huh? Hey, wait! What do you mean by weird?" she yelled up at the tree. "Momiji, tell me!"

"I don't wanna. Find out yourself, lady," he had stuck his tongue out her and started to disappear in the tree.

"Hey! Momiji! Come back!"

"Hey, lady-, aren't you supposed to be going to class?" his voice came from the depths of the lush green leaves of the tree and she smacked her forehead.

"Ah! I completely forgot, thanks to you! Bye, Momiji! Don't throw acorns at me next time! And you better tell me what you meant by weird" She had yelled over her shoulder before she ran for class. Then she arrived all messy with everyone all riled up.

"Chihiro-chan? You okay?" Emi asked, breaking her out of her quick flashback.

"Huh? Yeah, I'm okay, I wa just thinking," the young girl smiled at her friend to not make her worry.

"Okay, that's good! I'm glad my pe uniform fits you," Emi smiled back sweetly before turning to look at her reflection in the mirror, re-applying her makeup. "You really need to stop tripping everywhere or you could get seriously hurt."

"Haha, it can't be helped if I slipped on an acorn," Chihiro laughed, wiping her hands with a paper towel. "Thanks for the uniform anyway."

"No problem. So, is it true about Haku-kun getting in trouble in class with sensei?" Emi asked, gossip being her favorite thing. Chihiro nodded, becoming silent as her friend shook her head in amazement. "Wow, I thought Haku-kun was the type that stayed on the teacher's good side. Although bad boys are kind of nice if you know what I mean." Chihiro gave her a look and she laughed. "Don't worry, Chihiro-chan, I'm not interested in Haku-kun, no need to be territorial."

"I don't like him," Chihiro tried to protest before giving up. Emi won't believe a word she says since she's the type who likes getting involved with non-existent love lives. "Never mind. Think what you want, Emi-chan, I don't care anymore." She left the washroom with Emi laughing and returned to the classroom. "Huh? Where's Haku, Demetri?"

Demetri looked up from his desk where he was laying his head and scowled. "There you go again with that 'Haku'. Why should I care where that guy went?"

Chihiro raised her brows in amusement, her friend Lin having said something similar to her back then, many years ago. "Well, I'm going to look for him." If she was being honest to herself, she would have rather stayed in the classroom with Demetri but she was worried about Haku. He's been acting too strange this morning.

"I guess I'll come, too," the Irish boy muttered, following her out of the classroom. He didn't want to leave Chihiro alone with Haku in case she might get hurt.

The pair wandered the hall when Demetri noticed Haku outside in the courtyard, leaning against the young maple tree where Chihiro met Momiji. "There he is, Chi-chan." The two came out side and approached the river spirit. "Kohaku, class is about to start soon. Hey, are you listening?" Demetri tried to grab Haku's shoulder to force him to turn around but the moment his hand touched the river spirit, Haku collapsed. "Kohaku?"

"Haku!" Chihiro gasped, quickly kneeling beside him as he lay on the short grass, taking shallow breaths. She took his head and put it in her lap as she peered down at his pale face worriedly. "What's wrong with you?"

"I thought he felt weird." She looked up at the maple tree to find Momiji gazing down at them, a small frown on his young face. "Guess I was right."

"Momiji! This is what you meant?" She asked the tree spirit.

"Yeah, the pollution got to him. He's Kohaku, right?" Momiji said and Chihiro nodded. "My friend told me that a river spirit came from the spirit world. She was all angry and stuff since that spirit didn't really have a place he's connected to here. He's that river spirit, right? No wonder he felt weird."

"Weird?" Demetri repeated, not at all surprised at the tree spirit.

"Spirits grow weak with pollution. Having a permanent place to be connected to, like Momiji's tree, helps maintain stability on a spirit's health here in the human world," a woman's voice spoke behind them and the two humans whirled around to find a tall, slim woman with tinted-green skin like Momiji's, except with few white scales here and there, and hair of deep shades of magenta. "That's why it's not good for a spirit without a connection to the human world to stay for more than a day."

"Kudzu-nee! Hi!" Momiji grinned, hopping down from his tree and skipping to the woman, throwing his arms around her. "She's the one I've been talking about! The angry spirit!"

"I wasn't angry, Momiji, I just found Kohaku to be very stupid," Kudzu said bluntly as she hugged the tree spirit warmly.

"Kudzu-san...you know what's wrong with Haku?" Chihiro asked, hugging the pale river spirit close to her.

"Yes. He requires a remedy to take out the toxic that invaded his system that came from the pollution in the air," the flower spirit replied coolly, observing the two humans and the river spirit with deep brown eyes. "He's not in a critical state so don't worry. It's similar to what humans would call to having a flu. They'll get weaker and weaker, with headaches, stomach aches, fever, and vomiting. First stage, the spirit is acting extremely different than usual, normally more blunt as if they have a fever. Then they'll be dizzy and more spaced out, and next, pain. You should hurry while he's not in a critical state. When he is, young Kohaku will slowly start disappearing, just like his river. His power will be drained and he will become a lost spirit with no purpose."

"We don't even know what to do!" Demetri exclaimed. He scratched his head, glancing down at Chihiro. "Kudzu-san, right? Tell us about this remedy that will heal Kohaku."

Kudzu smiled and brought up a hand to her head, and when she pulled it away, a beautiful flower of magenta shades lay in her pale green hands, seemingly plucked from nowhere. "Here is a flower from my vine. Dry it, and and place it in a cup with the potion that Zeniba packed in that chest, like tea. Let Kohaku drink from that potion combined with my flower and in the next morning, he will be as new." Kudzu handed the beautiful flower to Momiji, nodding to him, and the tree spirit ran back to the three and stopped in front of Chihiro. Chihiro opened her hands and Momiji dropped the flower into her palm with a small grin before going back to Kudzu.

"Kudzu-san...thank you very much," the young girl bowed her head, clutching the flower to her chest.

"Make sure that Kohaku drinks the potion within four hours, or he will reach the critical state a spirit suffers from pollution, and my flower and that potion will not be able to help him at all," Kudzu heeded with a solemn voice. "It will take an hour to dry the kudzu, so go and hurry."

"Wait, Kudzu-san!" Chihiro called out to the flower spirit as she began to walk away with Momiji. "How did you know about Zeniba?"

The flower spirit smiled warmly before turning around. "She is more prepared than you think, young human. We will meet again, I am sure." And with that said, the two spirits disappeared, returning to their nature state.

Chihiro looked up at Demetri who nodded at her. "We'll have to ditch school, but we have no choice. Let's go before class starts and people come looking for us," he said, helping her up. Demetri lifted Haku's arm over his shoulder and the two humans began to make their way out the school grounds. "Chi-chan. What potion was Kudzu-san talking about?" he asked as she walked quietly beside him.

"In a dream last night, an old friend gave me a chest full of magical items. She said it was to use to protect myself," Chihiro answered. She fingered the small rod in the pocket of her skirt and the two rings. "I''m scared, Demetri. I feel like something bad's about to happen. What happens if we get attacked by oni? Haku won't be able to protect us."

"I'll protect you," Demetri immediately said, a determined look on his face. He looked Chihiro in the eyes for a moment before looking up ahead. "You can rely on me. I'm always here for you, Chi-chan."

At a loss for words, all Chihiro could do was touch his arm and smile. "Thanks, Demetri."

They walked a couple minutes more in silence before Demetri finally wrinkled his nose. "Chi-chan, you smell that right?"

"Hm? Smell what, Demetri?"

"Artificial grape. And it's strong. I've been smelling it since we talked to Kudzu-san," the Irish boy stuck out his tongue in disgust, making Chihiro laugh. "What?"

"The smell is coming from the flower, Demetri! It's a kudzu flower," Chihiro giggled, waving the dainty flower in the air. "You don't like the smell of grapes?"

"It smells like the stinky grape gums, I don't like it," Demetri said indignantly, shrugging Haku over his shoulder again before the river spirit slipped to the ground. With a small pout, he changed the subject. "So spirits are named after their place here in the human world?"

Chihiro looked up at the sky thoughtfully and shook her head. "I think it's more like we name places here after the spirits. If it doesn't have a name, than whoever inhabits it is a nameless spirit I guess. I think Bakal-san would know more about it than me."

"You're probably right," Demetri agreed. "Speaking of Bakal-san, we should drop Kohaku off at his house so we can just go grab the potion from your place, Chi-chan."

"That's a plan!" Chihiro grinned. "Ah! Haku's slipping, Demetri! He's slipping!" She grabbed Haku's arms, helping Demetri pull Haku up who was already halfway on the ground. She lifted the spirit's other arm around her shoulders and nodded. "I'll help carry him. Whoa! He's hot!"

"Why are you checking out a sick person?" Demetri made a small smirk as Chihiro's face flushed red.

"No! I mean that Haku feels hot! He must be really sick, we need to hurry!" she exclaimed, starting to pick up the pace.

"Hey! Wait, Chi-chan! We need to be on the same pace!" Demetri shouted, trying to keep up before she made the three of them trip and fall on the ground. They were half-running, half-tripping now, as they rushed to get to Chihiro's street. Demetri spotted the familiar convenience store that sat at the corner of her street, just a block away from the train station he uses whenever he visited the girl with Emi. "We're almost there!"

"We're gonna make it! And without a single problem, too!" Chihiro cheered, happy that nothing bad happened...is what she thought, right before she tripped on Demetri's sneakers and the three went tumbling to the ground. "Ouch! Why do I keep tripping?" she complained, trying to untangle herself from the boys' limbs.

"Ow, ow ow! Chi-chan, you're pulling my leg!" Demetri yelped, yanking his foot from her hands. He rubbed his ankle, and lifted the edge of the pants to check if it was swollen. "Gah, I hurt my ankle from the fall. I told you not to run!"

"I'm sorry!" Chihiro squealed, folding her hands together in apology. "And we were so close, too. Can you walk, Demetri?"

"I'll try." He held out a hand and Chihiro took it, pulling him up slowly. Once he put pressure on his injured foot, Demetri hissed and immediately lifted it up. She quickly made him lean against the brick wall that stood at the side of the street and looked at him worriedly. He scowled and shook his head, being careful to lean on his one good foot. "I can't carry Kohaku like this, Chi-chan. You'll have to get someone to help us."

"I don't want to leave you alone in case an oni decides to come by," Chihiro protested, gripping his hands tightly.

Demetri gave her a reassuring smile and tugged her now messy ponytail. "I'll be okay, Chi-chan. Didn't Kohaku say they don't normally come out during the day?"

"But-"

"If you're so worried, then hurry and go find someone to help us. The sooner we get Kohaku at Bakal-san's house, the better."

"...Okay, you have a point. I'll go ask Bakal-san for help. I'll be quick!" Chihiro said, and as she was about to stand up, Demetri's jade eyes widened and he quickly grabbed her wrists.

"Chi-chan, watch out!" he shouted, pushing her down to the ground away from the wall, covering her body with his. Something dark and shady crashed in the wall where they were moments before, barely missing the two and the unconscious river spirit. Dust rose in clouds around them as the two humans coughed. "Urg, what was that?" Demetri groaned, wiping his now dusty face with the sleeve of his arm.

Chihiro peeked in between his arms and head to see what had crashed into the wall. She gasped as her face paled. "Oni!" A large dark shadow emerged from the dust and debris, first in the form of a horned serpent before transforming into the demon it really was. She trembled as Demetri leaned over her protectively.

"Crap, if my foot wasn't hurt," he muttered under his breath, glaring ag the demon, unfazed by its grotesque features. It was the same one before, dark-green skin and gnarled horns. There was a scar where the dragon Haku had rakdd his claws, running from its forehead halfway down its bare chest. The oni let out a low gurgling laugh.i

"Ha! Dragon's sick, eh? Gonna die soon!" the oni bellowed, cocking its club over its shoulder. The oni looked at Demetri and laughed harder. "Haha! Trying to protect her, human? You're weak, I can crush your puny skull easily." The oni made an ugly grin and took a step towards them as Chihiro cowered under Demetri. "Out of my way, human." The oni swung its club, hitting Demetri's stomach and sending him flying down the street.

"UGH!" Demetri grunted before he crashed into the pavement in a crumpled heap.

"Demetri!" Chihiro screamed, scrambling to her feet to rush to her friend. She only took a step before the oni kicked her side and she fell back to the ground, her head banged knocking into the brick wall. 'Ughh," she groaned, a pounding ache threatened to split her head open. She looked at the oni with dazed eyes and she saw it standing over Haku. Her eyes widened and she shouted. "Haku!"

"I'll pay you back for my scar, stupid spirit," the oni laughed, raising its clawed hand in the air.

Chihiro's hand fumbled in her skirt pocket as she remembered the rod Zeniba had given her. She slowly got up with shaky feet, gripping the rod. "Don't hurt him!" She shrieked, pointing the short rod at the oni.

"Ha! What are you going to do with that? Throw it at me?" The oni taunted.

Chihiro hesitated, glancing at the rod realizing she had no idea how to use it. But Haku and Demetri's life were at stake, including hers! She had to try something. Remembering the staff that Robin from Teen Titans used, she cracked the rod in the air and it instantly grew in length reaching about six feet with small scythe-like blades on both ends. "No! I'll fight you!" Chihiro yelled, trembling as she wielded the weapon.

The oni smirked and began lumbering its way towards her. "Let's see what that stick of yours can do." The oni swung its club and Chihiro dove into the ground, avoiding the lethal swing. When she regained her balance, she attempted to swipe at the oni's arm. When the blades made contact with the oni's leathery skin, there was a bright crackle and the skin singed as it pierced through. The oni let out a rumbling shout and tore the staff out of Chihiro's hand. It threw the staff over its shoulder and it landed with a clatter down the street. "You little twerp! You burnt my skin!" The oni roared as it swung its club again, this time crushing into Chihiro's back, tearing the wind out of her. Chihiro lay on the pavement uselessly as the oni towered over her menacingly. "I'll eat you first, and I'll do it slowly so your friends will have the image of it burnt in their eyes and your screams still echoing in their ears," the oni opened its mouth to reveal the sharp fangs it hid.

Chihiro whimpered, the pain in her head and back only allowing her to squeeze her eyes shut as the demon began to reach out to her with its gnarled hands. _Someone help us! _ She begged in her mind as tears formed in her shut eyes.

There was a loud flapping of wings as a strong gust of wind forced her to roll over several times on the ground. She weakly opened her eyes to find a great black bird landing in front of her, hiding her from the oni's view. "A tengu! How-?!" The oni exclaimed, a hint of fear in its voice.

"I cannot believe I have to guard a filthy place like this," the great bird murmured to himself as it laid his beady eyes on the now trembling oni. "Zeniba owes me big time."

"Zeniba..?" Chihiro repeated in a feeble voice. The tengu turned his head and looked at her.

"Yes. The old witch went out of her way to protect a puny human like you," the tengu said. "I have yet to see the amazing qualities of you, human girl. But I promised to protect you so I will." With that said, the tengu flapped his great black wings, sending strong gusts to the oni, and he let out an ear-splitting shriek before using his talons to claw the oni.

"Aaggghhhhhhh!" The oni screamed as it was ripped to pieces. Dark blood fell in great streams around its feet and it mustered the last of its strength to swing its club at the tengu's head. The tengu ducked his head, allowing the oni enough time to escape one last time. "Damn you all!" It roared before it disappeared in darkness.

The tengu rolled his eyes before melting into a dark-haired man in a black cloak. He scanned through the rubble and found the dainty kudzu flower unharmed upon the unconscious Haku's chest. The tengu-man picked up the flower and put it away in his cloak where it would be safe. "Looks like that oni isn't the only trouble around here," the tengu murmured to himself as Chihiro struggled to sit up.

"I need to check if Demetri's okay," she panted, using all her energy to get on her knees.

"Stay down, human, you will hurt yourself more like that," the tengu said just as Bakal came sprinting around the corner. The man gasped at the mess and the sprawled out teenagers. He rushed to Chihiro's side and knelt beside her. "Chihiro! What happened?!"

"Haku...he's sick," Chihiro groaned, falling back to the ground.

"What! He is?" Bakal quickly glanced at the unconscious river spirit and grimaced. "Oh no, what should we do?"

"Human, bring them to your home for now, we will treat them there," the tengu said, approaching them with Demetri already slung over his shoulder.

"Okay, here, Chihiro," Bakal said, lifting her up in his arms where she lay limp. The tengu lifted Haku underneath his arm and Bakal began leading the way to his house when Chihiro gasped.

"The flower! Where's the flower?" She asked, struggling out of Bakal's arms.

"Don't worry, I have it," the tengu reassured just as they reached the gates.

"What about the potions?" Chihiro asked again, more weakly this time. They were inside the house now, and Bakal laid her on the sofa before rushing off for his first aid kit.

"You can worry about that later, once the flower has been dried. Now sleep," the tengu said after laying Demetri and Haku on the other sofas of the house.

"But-"

"Rest, human." The tengu ordered, waving a hand over her eyes and a sweet slumber overcame her.

* * *

**Author's note**

**Sorry it took so long to update! I've been busy and I've been chipping in a few words here and there whenever I could. Not sure if I can make the next update within the week but I shall try! Please leave areview and let me know your thoughts, and hope you like the story!**


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